Market Drayton’s superstore car parks are attracting noisy boy racers to the town long suffering residents have said.
Police have launched a clampdown on the young drivers warning they will seize cars and impose anti-social behaviour orders on those who are making the lives of local people a misery.
Officers in Market Drayton have stepped up patrols in the town following an increase in complaints.
They are also liaising with Market Drayton Town Council over the possibility of using the town’s CCTV system to identify offenders.
Councillor Mick Gould said the young drivers were using the town’s supermarket car parks as meeting places in the evening.
“I know they only want to meet up together and we all behaved badly sometimes when we were younger.
“But they are there around 10pm at night and it is very late when they finally leave. As well as congregating on the car parks they also go off for a ‘burn’ around the town. Residents have put up with it for long enough.”
Sergeant Tony Merrick, from Market Drayton police station, said there had been an increase in complaints in the town over the past few weeks.
“We have already been stopping drivers and have seized a number of vehicles from offenders, who have then had to pay to get their cars back,” he said.
“We have now increased patrols in the areas concerned, with both local police and response officers involved and I have requested assistance from the Road Policing Team from Shrewsbury. Drivers found to be driving anti-socially will first receive a warning but if stopped a second time, they will have their cars seized.
Police are gathering evidence to place anti-social behaviour orders on persistent offenders. They face being arrested if they breach its terms by driving anti-socially.”
Sergeant Merrick urged anybody who witnessed anti-social driving or any related motoring offences to contact police.
“I would ask people to note down the makes, models and registration numbers of cars causing a nuisance, along with the time, date and location and the identity or a description of the driver if possible.
“This should then be passed to police on 0300 333 3000. The more evidence we have, the easier it is for us to take action.”
