Calls for anti-social behaviour action in Paignton

Nuisance driving has been reported along Esplanade Road over cars with adapted exhausts

Residents and businesses in Paignton have called on police and Torbay Council to do more to tackle anti-social behaviour and late-night nuisance driving.

Hoteliers said guests had complained about noise on most nights along the seafront from screeching car tyres and vehicles' adapted exhausts.

The Paignton Town Community Partnership said it wanted cameras installed which would measure the noise and record vehicles' registrations.

Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were aware of the concerns and they conducted regular seafront patrols and responded to intelligence from the public. The council said it had made moves to deal with problems, including closing a car park at night.

Rebecca, not her real name, has a family businesses in the area, but did not wish to be identified for fear of reprisals.

She said: "We've had hoteliers that have gone down there to try and speak to the people down on the seafront and they've ended up in fights and stuff like that.

"I think it is intimidating."

"They're almost taking over the seafront and saying: 'We're here and we're going to make your lives unbearable.'"

Igor Kalinicenko is a hotelier who did not want his property identified.

"It's a matter of survival, especially in the declining economy," he said.

"We want authorities to take some action to improve this situation, because, if it goes the same way in the near future, lots of businesses are facing closure."

Hotelier Igor Kalinicenko says businesses could close if no action is taken

Devon and Cornwall Police and Torbay Council said they were doing what they could to try to tackle this problem.

Ch Insp Miranda Pusey said the local neighbourhood team was working closely with the council, highways officers and community representatives to deliver "long-term, sustainable solutions to improve safety and reduce disturbance", as well as enforcement.

She added officers had used a range of powers "to target those responsible, including vehicle warnings, seizures and, where appropriate, prosecution".

She also said regular patrols were also carried out along the seafront.

Torbay Council leader David Thomas said concerns about dangerous driving at Roundham Car Park led to it being closed between 22:00 and 08:00 as part of a "broader response to ongoing anti-social behaviour".

"The overnight closure of the car park is just one of the ways we are addressing concerns highlighted by the community," he added.

Young people gathering on Paignton sea front with noisy adapted cars

One of the type of camera favoured by the Paignton Town Community Partnership is currently being trialled in Exmouth to gather data.

It is a technology being looked at by the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner.

A noise camera which measures sound levels from a vehicle and its registration mark

"They've been reporting it [the noise] to the council and reporting it to the police," said Commissioner Alison Hernandez.

"If I can get Torbay Council to work with me on a Public Spaces Protection Order, to put that specific road and geography into the mix, I'll be more than happy to see if I can get Paignton it [a camera] as soon as possible."