Call for more action to be taken against nuisance car cruise events in Peterborough - after driver who crashed into spectator during drift meeting avoids jail

There have been calls for more action to be taken against nuisance car cruise events in Peterborough – with residents hitting out about the noise created during the meetings.

Issues over the car cruises in the city have been raised for years – and while the council has taken action to tackle the problem in some parts of the city, residents’ lives are still being made a misery as a result of the meetings.

While ‘drift meetings’ are not the same as car cruises – the cruise events tends to be focussed on static displays of cars, while illegal drift meetings see drivers sliding their cars around corners and roundabouts – residents have raised safety concerns about the cruise events.

On Monday, a driver was given a suspended jail sentence after crashing into a pedestrian at an unlawful drift event in Peterborough, leaving a man with a fractured skull and leg injuries.

The problems are being particularly felt in the Woodston, where the Fair Meadow Car Park – at the junction of Oundle Road and Town Bridge – has been used for cruise events for many years.

Earlier this month, police carried out an operation at the car park when a large meeting was taking place on a Saturday night.

It was initially reported that 100 to 150 people were in attendance, with some motorists acting anti-socially including revving engines, playing loud music and doing doughnuts in the car park.

"They cause the local community misery”

A police spokesperson said: “Our officers attended and moved people on – the dispersal order gave us additional powers to direct people to leave the area and not return if we deemed their behaviour was causing members of the public to be harassed, alarmed or distressed or would likely cause crime or disorder in the area.

“Car meets and associated anti-social behaviour has been a problem across the southern sector of Peterborough for some time, which is why it has been and remains to be a priority for the local neighbourhood policing team to tackle alongside partner agencies including Peterborough City Council.

“Although often perceived and intended to be good-natured events for car enthusiasts, they have a history of becoming anti-social and cause the local community misery due to behaviour such as excessive noise with revving of engines and loud music, as well as reckless and dangerous driving, littering, and causing damage to road surfaces."

"The noise is awful. You get loud engines, tyres screeching and exhausts backfiring – they sound like gun shots."

John Hammond, who lives in Woodston, said the events had been happening almost every night, with engine noise being heard into the early hours of the morning.

He said: “It seems to be every night at the moment. You just have to look at the car park to see the tyre marks on the floor to see what is happening.

"The noise is awful. You get loud engines, tyres screeching and exhausts backfiring – they sound like gun shots.

"It is often going on into the early hours of the morning – 12.30-1am.

"While we are having the warm weather, people have their windows open – it is all you can hear around here.

“We do get drivers speeding down Oundle Road as well – I’ve seen drivers overtaking others on the street.”

The topic is one of the most hotly discussed in the Woodston community groups on social media – with one resident in the group saying she was leaving the area, siting the noise as one of the reasons for her choice to move.

The car park is run by the council, and Mr Hammond called for action to stop it being used for the events.

“I am not sure why the council don’t just close the car park at night "

He said: “I am not sure why the council don’t just close the car park at night – or put something in so the people are charged for parking when they use it.”

In recent years, Peterborough City Council have put in measures including cameras and speed bumps, to stop the menace involving anti-social driving in Tresham Road in Orton.

The measures were introduced following a number of incidents involving crashes, and other anti-social behaviour issues.

When asked what is being done about the problems at Fair Meadow Car Park, a spokesperson for the city council said: “We are actively working with the police on measures aimed at tackling these issues and are currently looking at the option of implementing a Public Space Protection Order for the car park.

“In the meantime, we would urge anyone to report any form of anti-social behaviour in the area to us at www.peterborough.gov.uk or by calling 01733 747474. Contact Police on 101 if you witness anti-social behaviour taking place at the time.”

While not directly connected to the car cruise events, the issues with drifting – which many residents associate with the cruises - have caused significant problems across Peterborough. On Monday, Albert Hall was given a suspended sentence after admitting causing serious injury by dangerous driving following a crash in Peterborough.

“A lot of people will question the judge's decision to award a suspended sentence."

There have been a number of crashes reported in the city in recent years, with more than one person suffering injuries as a result, as well as damage reported to walls and buildings.

Cllr Julie Stevenson, who represents the Orton Waterville ward, questioned the suspended sentence handed out to Hall.

She said: “A lot of people will question the judge's decision to award a suspended sentence. The driver may be extremely sorry and may not have intended the consequences of his actions, but no driver should drive like that on the public highway or where pedestrians or other road users might be.

"Compare this to the sentences handed out to the rioters last week. Some of them had no previous convictions and weren't directly responsible for physical harm, yet they received custodial sentences because the prime minister feels that custodial sentences send a powerful message to other people who may be thinking about participating in riots.

"This sentence doesn't send any message to other drivers and I expect no change at all in their behaviour. While a custodial sentence in this case may seem excessive to some, what if it saves lives later?"