Police called to large car meet at Peterborough business park following complaints from businesses and residents

Police were called to a large car meeting in Peterborough on Saturday night (June 1) following complaints from businesses and residents about noise and anti-social behaviour associated with the events.

The meetings, which regularly see cars drifting and revving their engines, have caused misery for businesses and residents in the Ortons for years.

Last week a number of firms based on the Tresham Road estate spoke out about the problems caused, after a number of walls were knocked over in collisions.

The businesses also hit out at the mess left by people attending the events, with staff being forced to spend Monday mornings clearing up the mess.

An ongoing concern, raised by councillors, residents and businesses, has been the response of police to the events.

However, another event was held on Saturday (July 1), this time at the Lynch Wood business, located close to Tresham Road.

Orton Waterville councillor Julie Stevenson said: “We had a really good response from the police Saturday night who turned up in several cars to move the group on from Lynch Wood. Also, I called 101 and they told me to leave a message on the website. While I didn't have much hope that this would be read I received an answer within the hour, which was very impressive.”

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said that five Section 59 orders had been handed out to drivers at the event on Saturday. The orders mean that if the driver or their vehicles are involved in anti-social behaviour again, the vehicle will be seized, even if they are using someone else’s car.

When asked why the response on Saturday might have been different to previous weeks, the police spokesperson said there was no specific reason for the change.

The spokesperson said: “We understand the ongoing issues relating to car meets and anti-social driving across the city, which is why our neighbourhood teams continue to work with partners, including local businesses and Peterborough City Council, to address these.

“Alongside this however, demand for our services has never been higher and we have to prioritise every call for service alongside the crimes and incidents ongoing at that time.”