Speed camera call for bypass to tackle street races

A police operation is being carried out to tackle car cruises in south Leicestershire

Calls have been made for speed cameras to be put in place to deter car cruisers using a Leicestershire village bypass.

Dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour along the A426 at Blaby is a long-standing issue, with police currently carrying out "targeted operations" to tackle a rise in illegal street racing.

But despite successes - including a 500-car meet planned for Saturday being cancelled - residents said problems are continuing.

Blaby district councillor Paul Hartshorn said he would like average speed cameras to be installed to stop the problem - but Leicestershire County Council said there was not enough of a track record of speeding or accidents to allow cameras there.

At the start of February, Leicestershire Police's Hinckley and Blaby commander Insp Mat Allingham said the force was tackling "extremely dangerous" drivers after "a number of large, organised meets".

He warned cars would be seized and warnings sent to owners of vehicles involved.

However, the use of a Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO) to hand extra powers to officers, as is the case in Castle Donington and Kegworth, has been ruled out for now.

Les Phillimore, joint chair of the Blaby and Hinckley Community Safety Partnership, said: "There is no excuse for using the roads as race tracks.

"We're committed to doing all that we can to reduce incidents."

Hartshorn said recent police operations were welcome but "don't stop" the meets.

He would like the highways authority Leicestershire County Council to install average speed cameras along the stretch as a deterrent and to catch speeding drivers should they turn up in the area.

He said: "We need to stop it happening in the first place. These car races are a danger and a risk to the other road users.

"There needs to be a permanent solution. And it needs to be done now before somebody's killed."

Average speed cameras could be a solution to the problem, said Paul Hartshorn

'Being let down'

Stephen Plant, 53, of Earl Smith Close, lives overlooking the bypass and said the racing has been going on "for quite a while" and people nearby are "jaded" at having to constantly call police.

He added: "Because of their modified cars and the manner in which they drive it's very loud when we're trying to relax or trying to sleep.

"It's very, very, very unfair. Sharnford has an average speed camera through the village so no-one can speed, I feel we're being let down, we're being ignored as residents."

Another resident of Earl Smith Close, who did not wish to be named, said: "They need to stop the racers. There's already a speed limit which they just ignore."

A spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council said: "We are only able to install cameras based on a nationally agreed and applied set of criteria.

"Static cameras, for example, should only be installed where there is a record of high speeds and speed related accidents and while we appreciate there are community concerns, the data we have does not show there are speeding issues or speed-related accidents on the 2km section of the A426 Blaby bypass."