Manchester Evening News

Copped crusader

TRAFFIC POLICE SEIZE ‘BATMOBILE’ AFTER DRIVER WAS FOUND TO HAVE NO INSURANCE

- By JOHN SCHEERHOUT

POLICE seized an American ‘muscle car’ which had been revving its engine driving around the city - after discoverin­g the driver wasn’t insured.

After stopping the matt black Dodge Challenger on Deansgate in the city centre, traffic cops couldn’t help noticing the vehicle looked a bit like the Batmobile, the car driven by superhero Batman in comic books and films.

“Not all superheroe­s wear capes,” Greater Manchester Police posted from its main Twitter account.

The car stopped on Saturday night is just the latest in a series of supercars traffic police have pulled up for a variety of motoring offences, particular­ly on Deansgate which has become something of a magnet for petrolhead­s wanting to show off.

But the parade of loud, expensive cars can also be irritating, not to mention antisocial, for people who live and work in the city centre.

Tweeting about the latest incident, GMP Traffic embraced the Batman theme wholeheart­edly when it tweeted: “#GMPTraffic saw this Batman Wannabee over revving his engine whilst driving round the city tonight.

“However, Alfred forget to insure the fake Dark Knight’s ride, so we did the Joker a favour and seized the Batmobile. ‘KA-POW ‘he’s now on the bus back to Wayne Manor.”

In December, the M.E.N. reported an Audi R8 was seized after driving ‘anti-socially’ on Deansgate in front of officers.

Councillor­s have previously condemned ‘man boy racers’ who regularly cause noise chaos along Deansgate and adjoining Peter Street on weekends.

City centre spokespers­on Coun Pat Karney previously called on specialist noise detecting traffic cameras to be introduced in Manchester to tackle the problem and catch motorists - as the trials were rolled out across the UK.

He told of how those living in city centre apartments close to Deansgate were constantly disturbed by the noise, particular­ly on weekends and in the early hours and that their ‘lives are being made into a misery’ by the ‘absolute idiots’.

Coun Karney said: “For people who live in the area, they are plagued by supercars racing up and down Deansgate, Peter Street and Quay Street. They go around at two or three in the morning, particular­ly on weekends.”

 ?? ?? The ‘Batmobile’ muscle car is stopped on Deansgate
The ‘Batmobile’ muscle car is stopped on Deansgate

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