Police clamp down on anti-social boy racers

Jan 19 2009 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

POLICE in a Northumberland market town are clamping down on boy racers amid fears they are scaring off tourists.

Northumbria Police’s Operation Amptill has seen officers stop 157 drivers in Alnwick since November.

The vast majority have been issued with defect rectification notices, usually relating to noisy exhausts, whereby they must take the car off the road until it has been brought up to an acceptable standard.

The operation was mounted following several complaints by Alnwick Town Council over boy racers, and the impact their behaviour is having.

A letter was recently sent to the council by a couple who visited the White Swan Hotel, and vowed never to return to Alnwick because of boy racers driving through the town centre into the early hours of the morning.

The force’s operation has been conducted over the last year with VOSA and Neighbourhood Watch members in Alnwick. It involves education of youngsters and advice to those who have modified vehicles, and ultimately enforcement.

Some drivers have been prosecuted but police say the vast majority have changed their behaviour.

Due to the success of the operation, police are to run it again this year as well as rolling it out to Amble and outlying villages when needed.

Alnwick Neighbourhood Beat Manager Andrew Welsh said: “We are well aware anti-social drivers disturb people’s quality of life through noise as well as pose a threat to pedestrians and other road users through the manner of their driving.

“We have, and will continue to, take a strong stance against those who drive in an anti-social manner.”