Car parks a 'magnet for boy racers'

Superstore car parks in Market Drayton are attracting noisy boy racers to the town, long-suffering residents have said. Police have launched a crackdown.

Officers have warned young drivers they will seize cars and impose anti-social behaviour orders on those who are making the lives of local people a misery.

Officers in Market Drayton have stepped up patrols in the town following an increase in complaints.

They are also liaising with Market Drayton Town Council over the possibility of using the town's CCTV system to identify offenders.

Councillor Mick Gould said the young drivers were using the town's supermarket car parks as meeting places in the evening.

He added: "I know they only want to meet up together and we all behaved badly sometimes when we were younger. But they are there at around 10pm at night and it is very late when they finally leave. As well as congregating on the car parks they also go off for a 'burn' around the town. Residents have put up with it for long enough."

Sergeant Tony Merrick, of Market Drayton police, said there had been an increase in complaints in the town over the past few weeks.

"We have already been stopping drivers and have seized a number of vehicles from offenders, who have then had to pay to get their cars back," he said.

"Drivers found to be driving anti-socially will first receive a warning but if stopped a second time, they will have their cars seized.

"Police are gathering evidence to place anti-social behaviour orders on persistent offenders. They face being arrested if they breach its terms by driving anti-socially."

Sergeant Merrick urged anybody who witnessed anti-social driving to contact police on 0300 333 3000.