Car seized after being spotted doing doughnuts in Peterborough car park

A car was seized by police in Peterborough after being spotted performing ‘doughnuts’ in the city.

Cambridgeshire Police activated a county wide dispersal order over the weekend to deal with any anti-social behaviour related to planned car meetings in Peterborough.

The dispersal order meant officers could direct a person to leave the area specified within the order if there are reasonable grounds to suspect their behaviour has contributed or is likely to contribute to members of the public feeling harassed, alarmed or distressed, or the occurrence of crime or disorder.

The order was put in place on Friday evening, and lasted until Sunday, as officers try to tackle behaviour by some drivers which ‘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.’

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said they had been called to two gatherings in the city on Saturday evening.

The spokesperson said: “The first was at about 7pm with about 15 vehicles at Pleasure Fair Meadow Car Park off Oundle Road in Peterborough. No issues of anti-social behaviour were identified and those in attendance were engaged with in a positive manner. However, CCTV operators reported one vehicle doing doughnuts in the car park, officers located the vehicle at the Esso garage in Bourges Boulevard and seized it for having no insurance.

“Enquiries including reviewing CCTV footage to confirm any offences in relation to the anti-social behaviour are ongoing.

“We received a report at about 10.30pm of about a dozen cars racing and drifting around roundabouts near the A1M junction at Sawtry. Two vehicles and their drivers were given dispersal orders to leave the area.

“We received information that the organiser of the initial event that was planned for Saturday evening was planning another event for Sunday evening, which was a breach of the Community Protection Warning (CPW) issued to him earlier in the week which had conditions to cancel Saturday’s event and not plan any other events on private land without the landowner’s permission.

“As planning of a second event was in breach of the warning, a Community Protection Notice (CPN) was issued, again to cancel the event and not plan any further events.”