Five arrests in crackdown on illegal car meets

Officers had tried to stop the meets from taking place with a dispersal orer

Five people have been arrested and several vehicles seized after a police crackdown on "wannabe racers" at an illegal sports car meet.

Cheshire Police put a dispersal order in place on London Road in Alderley Edge at the weekend to curb a planned gathering of motorists that falsely claimed to have the force's backing.

Officers arrested five people on suspicion of drug and dangerous driving offences, issued 59 warnings about antisocial behaviour and causing distress and seized three vehicles.

Ch Insp Zoe Bowden said she hoped the action would "deter any future wannabe racers who think they can abuse the rules of the road and get away without any repercussions".

The dispersal order was enforced after the event was heavily advertised on local social media channels that wrongly claimed it had the blessing of police, a force spokesman said.

Officers received reports of illegally-customised cars driving in "an anti-social manner, racing and speeding well in excess of the 20mph speed limit for the road", he added.

'Showing off'

More than 160 stop checks were later carried out with 23 traffic offences recorded.

Chf Insp Bowden said there were a "significant number of drivers and spectators flocking to the area" despite the dispersal order.

She said: "Some of those showing off their cars in front of crowds of people can be tempted to put their foot down.

"And that's when it becomes dangerous, not just for the pedestrians watching the spectacle but for innocent motorists who are also legally using the roads."

Earlier, a Cheshire-based car meet group sought to distance itself from rule-breakers by stressing its events are organised in conjunction with police.