'Drag racing' car meets happening at Thames Valley Park

The roundabouts of Thames Valley Park have been used during car meets

A business park is the site of "regular drag racing" and "screeching tyres", a council meeting has heard.

Car meets and anti-social behaviour at Thames Valley Park in Reading were discussed by Wokingham Council's overview and scrutiny committee during an enforcement safety service update.

Bulmershe and Whitegates councillor Shirley Boyt said it was happening with with "alarming regularity".

Wokingham and Bracknell have recently been used for car meets.

The council set up an anti-social behaviour crime prevention team in April, designed to "offer a visible presence", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ed Shaylor, in charge of managing environmental health, housing regulation and enforcement, licensing and anti-social behaviour, claimed there were not many recent incidents.

'Hurtling round'

But Ms Boyt said: "I beg to differ in regards to the Thames Valley Park and Ride and Thames Valley Park Drive where they are happening with alarming regularity."

She said one resident had "complained and complained and complained" to police to no avail.

She added: "They're not interested because it's not a residential area [but] we have Wokingham Waterside Centre and it has ruined half of their business, which was a camping field. 

"They can no longer have people camping there because of the commotion that's going on until the early hours of the morning."

She also said that while not a residential area, cars "hurtling round the car park doing doughnuts and figures of eight" were still doing damage to the roads.

Mr Shaylor said it was a question of "resources and priorities" for the police. 

He said while there was "regular drag racing or screeching tyres" on the roundabouts, if more people complained and reported it, it was "likely to get more attention".