The local council made the request to Clair Cook, owner of AnD Taxis in York, after receiving a complaint from a 15-year-old schoolboy that the cross was a “fake penis”.

The driver of the cab in which the small blue glass cross was displayed is a Roman Catholic who said he bought it in Greece whilst there on holiday six years ago. He wishes to remain anonymous.

He was asked by the paper what he felt when he heard about the complaint.

He answered: “Incredulity. I couldn’t believe that anyone could think it wasn’t a cross.

“I have taken it off the dashboard as requested because I do not want to lose my licence but I do not think this has been handled properly.”

Ms Cook is also angry about the approach of City of York Council. She claimed that the council would have handled the complaint with more caution if the ornament on display had been the religious symbol of any other faith.

She has also defended the driver over the second aspect of the complaint made by the boy, which criticised his driving abilities.

“I am personally deeply offended and very sympathetic for the driver. Not only is an ornament of this nature a religious one, but the complaint and its implication is a very serious one,” she said.

“The safety of the passengers is always my number one priority, however, so is my drivers’ reputation and trust.”

Colin Rumford, head of Environmental Health and Trading Standards at City of York Council, said a complaint had been received from a child regarding what they thought to be an “inappropriate” item in the taxi.

He admitted that the council’s response could have been better.

He said: “Careful consideration is always taken when any complaints are received and, depending on the nature of the complaint, officers will take relevant action where necessary,” he said.

“In this instance, it appears that the taxi operator was wrongly advised to remove the item and our intervention should have been confined to making them aware of the complaint.

“It would then be a matter for the taxi operator to resolve with the customer.”