The Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley has been urged by the Progressive Alliance to take swift action on car cruisers that are seen, and heard, speeding ‘dangerously and recklessly’ throughout the city.

These drivers, which often have modified cars with loud detuned exhausts, are known to travel to and from car meets in the city centre and often race each other on the dual carriageways.

MK Council has been working with the police force to limit anti-social behaviour at car meets by introducing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which is enforced by Thames Valley Police, but the dangerous driving, loud noises and speeding itself goes beyond the Council’s powers – it falls with TVP.

The Council and TVP joint-funded a camera aimed at combatting speeding vehicles. However, residents are also concerned about the deafening late-night sounds of de-tuned exhausts, so the Progressive Alliance are calling for more police officers to be allocated to speeding hotspots to tackle the problem.

The Deputy Leader of the Council, who also sits on the Police and Crime Panel, will be writing to the TVP police chief calling for more resources to ensure this can happen.

A Progressive Alliance spokesperson said:

“These illegal street races are keeping families up at night, and residents fear for their safety when cars overtake them at ridiculously high speeds. It isn’t fair for local families to experience this, and the Progressive Alliance shares residents’ frustration.

“I hope that the Police and Crime Commissioner will join me in believing that the issue of speeding should be treated as part of the policing of the car cruise events. We need more police on the streets to tackle the problem, and firm action should be taken immediately.”