There was uproar at a meeting when the Mayor of Watford likened a Labour bill calling for tighter regulations for Uber drivers to racial discrimination.

The motion was called by Labour Cllr Ahsan Khan for Callowland as taxi drivers licensed by Watford Borough Council are facing a threat to their trade by London-licensed Uber drivers.

At the full council meeting on Tuesday evening, Mayor Dorothy Thornhill said: “The real reason I personally feel uncomfortable about this bill, and I know that is shared by colleagues, is that you have talked about Uber drivers in a way that if you replace the if you replace the word Uber driver with the word Jew or black person it would actually be called racial discrimination.

“I’m sorry if that is controversial, but if you take a group of people and say all people with blue eyes are this, we know what that means, you have actually used words like people aren’t safe.

“What does that mean? You are actually saying all Uber drivers, there is something about them that means they are not safe.”

The motion asked the council to make a report on the impact, to seek legal advice on behalf of the taxi drivers regarding Uber cars plying for trade near Watford Junction and the town centre, tighter regulations and to write to Uber requesting they suspend operations in Watford.

Liberal Democrat councillors stated they were already working towards a report and enforcing tighter regulations, but feasibly would not be able to ask Uber to stop operation in Watford.

Chairman of the Taxi Trade in Watford Shafiq Ahmed said: “We want the council to understand what our concerns are as many taxi drivers are frightened about the future.

“People call Uber and they are welcome to do so, but Uber drivers park up on double yellow lines, plying for trade is illegal and they have an unfair advantage over drivers who are licensed in Watford.

“I was upset that we were accused of being racist towards Uber drivers it was hurtful to me. I was so insulted that she said that, it was well below the belt.”

Leader of the Watford Labour Group Nigel Bell said: “I was amazed and disgusted that she could use that kind of metaphor, why someone in her position would sink to that level.

Mayor Dorothy Thornhill responded stating: “The Labour motion was designed to curry favour with one section of the community to demand that we do the impossible and act illegally.

“This shows what they were like when they ran the county shouting the odds in public rather than getting to grips with the issue and sort it out.

“I have concerns about Uber as a company but to demonise all Uber drivers as unfit and criminal is plain wrong.

“You cannot demonise a whole group of people. Some Uber drivers are Watford residents and some Uber customers are too and I don’t want anyone to feel unsafe as they are licensed by TfL

“We are continuing to regulate, but we will regulate all drivers and I could not pass that bill.”