Warnings sent to boy racers who 'block roads' during meets

Police said hundreds of people could turn up at a car meet

A police force has sent more than 300 letters to boy racers, with some warned over blocking roads for "car meets".

Norfolk Police said it wanted to "educate" drivers involved in events that can attract hundreds of people.

A number of councils in Norfolk are also using Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) to deal with the issue.

Hellesdon Conservative councillor, Lacey Douglass, said boy racers had been a problem "for a long while".

The force said the meets often saw drivers speeding and performing "doughnuts".

Broadland District Council, which includes some parts of north Norwich and the surrounding area, was looking to introduce its own PSPO.

"I was driving home and cut through Vulcan Road," Councillor Douglass said.

"In front of me was this Ferrari - they were just bombing around the industrial estate. It fits the car culture that they're into, but for the rest of us it's very strange."

Councillor Lacey Douglass said street racing has been a problem for years

Earlier this year Norwich City Council brought in a PSPO, which gave police additional powers to fine drivers for antisocial behaviour.

Stephen Robinson, who lives near Mousehold Heath, said that since the PSPO had begun "it had definitely been quieter than previous years."

"People are waiting to see if this is a permanent change, it all depends on action to enforce it," he added.

Police said car meets were a popular way to socialise, but some groups were causing antisocial behaviour

Norfolk Police said the force was taking action with a campaign called "Operation Octane".

Insp Will Drummond said car meets were a popular way for drivers to socialise, but increasingly the force was seeing larger groups "travelling across Norfolk and causing antisocial behaviour".

"We have some instances where we'll have car enthusiasts racing along dual carriageways, closing off the roundabout at each end, essentially making a public road a racetrack," he said.

Since the police campaign had started, more than 300 warning letters had been sent to drivers and ultimately vehicles could be seized, he added.

He said the police felt that they would get better results by "engaging" with drivers, but he insisted that they were "addressing the issues".