NOTTS: First boy-racers served with warnings using new powers

Nottinghamshire County Council, with the support of Nottinghamshire Police and other community safety partners, secured an Injunction Order in January this year which bans boy racers from a range of car cruising activity at three locations in the county – including roads just off junction 27 of the motorway.

More than 50 drivers were stopped by Police during the operation earlier this month.

Most of those stopped were reminded about the injunction in place in the area and no further action was taken.

However several motorists, who were driving anti-socially, were issued with first breach injunctions – a final warning that their details were being recorded and that they will face charges if they were are found to be in breach of the injunction in the future.

Behaviour which is breach of the injunction includes racing, riding in convoy, driving at excessive speed and performing ‘stunts’.

Anyone found guilty of being in breach of the order could be classed as being in contempt of court, which carries a maximum two year jail sentence and/or unlimited fine.

The injunction is also in place at two other car cruising blackspots – Chilwell Retail Park and Victoria Retail Park in Netherfield.

The County Council took action to secure the injunction following complaints by residents, businesses and other motorists that their lives were being blighted by large gatherings of ‘car cruisers’.

The gatherings - often organised through social media - saw hundreds of vehicles meeting-up to race against each other, perform stunts and blast music from car stereos on retail parks and public roads.

Large groups of spectators gather at the roadside to watch and film the activity, which has often gone on until the early hours of the morning.

Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, Chairman of the Community Safety Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “I welcome this latest police action, which serves as a timely reminder to the car cruising community that if they behave in a way that’s dangerous and anti-social, they face tough new punishments.

“So far the injunction has been a successful deterrent, so it’s all the more important that when there are signs of activity that it is quickly nipped in the bud.

“We recently committed funding to retaining CCTV surveillance at junction 27 which is vital in both gathering evidence and giving an early warning to police about any car cruising in the area.

“Now that the summer is here, people should be able to enjoy the outdoors in an evening, free from blasting car stereos, the roar of engines and the screech of tyres until the early hours.

“That has not always been the case in parts of Nottinghamshire in the past but we’re determined it will be the case in the future.”