A COUNCILLOR has apologised after asking for “an illegal” minicab on a social networking site.

Green party leader and councillor for Brockley, Darren Johnson, posted the comments on Twitter after being unable to find a licensed taxi after a City Hall party.

Cllr Johnson, who is also the The Greater London Assembly chairman, said: “I stupidly took an illegal minicab to get me home. It cost me more than a licensed taxi, and I was lucky it did not cost me much more in terms of my personal safety.

“Londoners should always heed the official advice to only ever take a licensed taxi cab or pre-booked licensed minicab to get home."

Mr Johnson added: “They should learn from my mistake that unbooked minicabs are illegal and expensive and place personal safety at serious risk. I want to make it clear this journey was a personal one which was not chargeable to the GLA."

Writing on his Twitter page after the party, Mr Johnson wrote: “Ten pound tip for first cabbie to find me” and “Illegal minicab will do if you get me home”.

He later wrote: “Well im in some dodgy minicab paying an exhorbitant rip-off rate but at least getting home”.

Spokesman for the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, Steve Mcnamara, said: “The man’s arrogance is astounding. He has encouraged a criminal act, he has been a party to a criminal act and then he brags about it on Twitter.”

Mr Mcnamara added: “He has embarrassed himself, the Mayor, the GLA and London, he needs to go.”

The incident comes as Mayor of London Boris Johnson launches a Cabwise campaign warning people about the dangers of unlicensed minicabs.