Call for citywide crackdown to tackle car cruising

Councillors in Peterborough say a city-wide crackdown is needed on car cruising

Harsher punishments for car cruising should be handed out in a city, local politicians say.

Councillors want powers allowing police to issue fines for vehicle-related anti-social behaviour to be granted throughout Peterborough.

Earlier this month, a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) giving police these extra powers was introduced at Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park, south of the city centre.

But Christian Hogg, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Peterborough City Council, said the "actual solution" to the issue was a "city-wide injunction".

"Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park acts as a magnet to bring these vehicles into town from all over," he said. "This was never going to be the solution."

This PSPO, implemented on 19 July, allows police to issue £1,000 fines for anti-social behaviour associated with car meets. The force issued nine tickets on the first day of enforcement, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Car cruising can take various forms including authorised and unauthorised meets, which are associated with stunts, street racing and excessive noise.

Independent councillor Julie Stevenson said introducing smaller PSPO areas risked shifting the problem from "place to place".

A PSPO has been introduced covering Pleasure Fair Meadow car park

"We need to push the problem out of Peterborough," she said.

Peterborough City Council's Labour administration said it would look into the possibility of a city-wide injunction.

Alison Jones, cabinet member for communities, said she was "aware" smaller injunctions could push car cruising to elsewhere in the city.

"We are also talking to some of the car cruising events people that put them on to try and work with them," she said.

There are other PSPOs in place in Peterborough, including one covering the city centre and another in Millfield, but these do not relate specifically to car cruising.