Surge in convictions sees city branded street race capital of UK

BIRMINGHAM has been branded the UK’s street racing capital as young drivers risk lives in illicit races.

The city has been the subject of a huge crackdown on people dangerously speeding in races against each other.

And despite a High Court ban on their activities, new figures how the city has the most drivers in Britain convicted of “motor racing on the highway”.

Statistics from the DVLA, revealed by firm Select Car Leasing, show Birmingham in pole position on the leaderboard of shame. A High Court injunction has been in place since 2016, preventing street racing, and police have launched several crackdowns.

Drones have been used to gather evidence – but the illegal racing continues.

In May 2018, Atif Qasim became the first person to be jailed for flouting the injunction as he reached speeds of up to 90mph in his Volkswagen Golf along the Heartlands Parkway.

Offenders can be arrested and participants can expect driving bans and fines of up to £5,000, and can have their vehicle seized and crushed.

Adults found to be violating the injunction can face up to two years’ imprisonment and younger people can be fined and have their assets seized for contempt of court.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “Officers are aware that street cruising has been an issue across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands for a long time.

“A High Court order bans people from taking part in car cruising, including speeding, racing and driving in convoy, performing stunts and causing an obstruction on a public highway across Birmingham, Solihull and the

Black Country.

“The force is investing significant resources into obtaining car cruising injunctions which attempt to control this behaviour. We also plan extra resources when we believe this activity is most likely.

“Our traffic officers carry out regular operations across the force in response to concerns raised by communities. These are also now supported by police drone pilots who gather information on offenders.”

Mark Tongue, company director at Select Car Leasing, said: “You might think it looks exciting on the big screen, but there’s nothing clever at all about street racing in real life.

“It is, quite simply, one of the most dangerous things you can possibly do behind the wheel of a car. You’re not only endangering your own life, but you pose a fatal threat to every single person on the road, including pedestrians.

“If you want to see how your vehicle performs, take it to an organised track day.”