Uber claimed its latest victim after London’s largest school for black cab drivers said that it would close its doors next month.

Malcolm Linskey, 70, who established Knowledge Point in Islington, north London, 30 years ago, said that the twin pressures of Uber and increased property prices had led him to believe that “we’re going to be brushed aside”.

To gain a licence, London cabbies must study “the Knowledge”, quite literally learning the ins and outs of 25,000 streets in the capital.

Mr Linskey said that the diminishing demand for knowledge courses was responsible for his school’s demise. “Demand has gone down since Uber arrived. Usually we have 350 students enrolling a year, last year it was 200.”

He said that his company would continue to produce and sell taxi driver training materials in print and online, supplemented by training sessions in church halls and community centres

Uber, which started in San Francisco, has been the focus of protests around the world, with Parisian taxi drivers even attacking their rivals.

Black cab drivers, unhappy with what they perceive as unfair competition from unregulated “ehailing” apps, have also taken their anger to the streets. In May many caused gridlock during a protest in central London.