Spillers car park to remain closed at night over boy racer worries

Changes to the car park's opening hours were introduced last year and will become permanent

A Newcastle car park plagued by boy racers will remain closed at night.

Spillers car park, in the Ouseburn area of the city, had suffered from "significant anti-social behaviour", the city council said.

It highlighted the "racing of cars... late into the evening" as a major issue that had led to complaints from people living nearby.

A temporary measure to close the car park between 22:00 and 06:00 introduced last September will become permanent.

At the request of police, council security officials have been installing a barrier each evening in recent months to block access at night.

The closure, along with the installation of CCTV, increased patrols and using concrete rings to reduce the size of the car park, had seen "limited success", a report by the local authority said, but "issues continue".

People will be able to retrieve their vehicle before midnight but will have a pay a £100 release fee to have security staff lift the barriers, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The future of the car park is uncertain, with major redevelopment plans having emerged for the area.

While planning permission has expired for the controversial Whey Aye Wheel project, which would have seen Europe's biggest observation wheel built at Spillers Wharf, there remain proposals to build housing on the riverside plot.

Alternative parking provision with later opening hours includes the Quayside MSCP, which is open until midnight.