SHOW ORGANISERS RAMP UP SECURITY
New calls to step up police involvement in curbing antisocial show behaviour
Classic car clubs are taking steps to protect themselves from aggressive driving at the end of their shows, following a car cruise accident in Stevenage that left a teenage bystander confined to a wheelchair.
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) sought – and received – assurances in 2015 that classic car convoys would not fall foul of car cruising injunctions – sweeping powers allowing police to shut down vehicle gatherings.
More recently, car clubs such as the Watford and District Classic Vehicle Club have begun to work proactively with the police before any incidents take place. The stakes and visitor numbers are rising, as 2019 attests.
The Stevenage accident came after the Hurt Arms in Derbyshire voluntarily terminated its show to combat aggressive driving leaving the showfield; organisers the Rotary Club of Doncaster St George’s want to work with authorities, despite 13 previous years of well-behaved visitors, following an accident
involving a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle on 30 June at the Doncaster Classic Car & Bike Show in South Yorkshire.
Spokesperson, Nigel Thorley, said: ‘ We had our most successful show with 900 cars. Maybe we should request a police presence when cars are leaving the show next year.’
The Watford and District Classic Vehicle Club, which organises Classics on the Green (attended by CCW on 7 August – see page
40), was taking no such chances, working with Hertfordshire Police to maintain a visible presence; such was its research that it even identified a specific time –
8pm – for likely mischief.
Chris said: ‘ We’ve always maintained a strict policy of condemning this sort of thing and have worked tirelessly over many years to get a better police presence at events. We always notify all the emergency services in the area.
‘ When we heard the terrible news following the meet in Stevenage, we felt this year in particular was time to press it home to people. We liaised closely with Hertfordshire police (pictured above) who advised us to put together a safety leaflet, handed out to every car visiting the show, which also warned that we’d take down the registrations of those who misbehaved and pass them on to the authorities.
‘ We also went belt-and-braces with the signage around the event. This year, I didn’t hear one person wheelspin, which is unheard of. I don’t know if it was the leaflets, the police presence, or whether people have just developed some sense after Stevenage.
‘I would absolutely recommend that other show organisers take similar measures. At the end of the day, no-one can get into the minds of individuals, but the safety of pedestrians, road users and visitors is paramount.’
Co-organiser of award-winning East Coast Retros’ meets, Michael Carpenter, has his own team of volunteer security staff who patrol the Ipswich-based shows. He’s always been able to keep behaviour civilised, but would happily speak to local police should problems escalate. He said: ‘I’d have no hesitation in calling them to make their presence known if leaving traffic needed to slow down.’
Ace Café manager, Mark Wilsmore, is – like the FBHVC – keen that classic enthusiasts are not tarred with the same brush as unruly cruisers, who, like all groups, have a minority of misbehavers within their ranks. He, like all the other clubs CCW interviewed, pushed for self-regulation before it was too late.
He said: ‘Typically, those with classics don’t give rise to behaviour issues; it’s a question of demographics.
‘ We do liaise with the police for the Ace’s larger events, something we’ve been doing for a long time. The challenging thing is that both police personnel and even the structure of the police changes, but our hosted meets are different.
‘ We do background checks on those looking to host meets at the Café and always have at least one marshal at every meet.’