Car cruise chaos
POLICE INVESTIGATE REPORTS OF DANGEROUS DRIVING AND SPEEDING AS ‘LARGE NUMBER’ OF ENTHUSIASTS HIT THE ROAD FOR EASTER MEETING
POLICE have launched an investigation after a large number of car enthusiasts caused disruption on Nottinghamshire roads over the Easter weekend.
Police have warned people who meet for car cruising that they will be prosecuted if they drive dangerously or aggressively.
Enthusiasts gathered in Bulwell and Mansfield on Easter Sunday, before a group moved on to East Midlands Parkway railway station at Ratcliffe-on-soar.
Some drivers were seen driving dangerously and at high speeds through nearby roads and on the M1.
Officers said they went to the scene to “engage with the people there and took footage so that the incident can be investigated and appropriate action taken”.
However, police said no fines were issued at the event.
The force had received local intelligence that there was to be a large gathering of car enthusiasts meeting near the county border.
Operation Reacher and support officers went to Portland Retail Park in Mansfield at around 5pm on Sunday as vehicles arrived, while other cars met in Bulwell and elsewhere in Mansfield.
One Bulwell resident said “around 100” cars met on his street.
Michael Hammond, 53, of Sellers Wood Drive, described the noise on Sunday as “horrendous”.
He said: “Cars were roaring up and down this road with their exhausts popping – it was very loud. They were driving up and down the road and into the car parks. I’d say there were around a hundred of them.
“It sounded like a war zone. Our dog was going barmy. It was a total
nightmare. For anyone with kids trying to get them to sleep it is awful.
“Why the police didn’t fine anyone I don’t know. It is ridiculous. We all pay taxes like everyone else but this area is not treated the same.”
Mr Hammond, who has lived in the area for 30 years, added: “It was like being at a bonfire party with banging every second. It’s about time something was done about it.”
But another Bulwell resident, Shawnie Morrison, said: “It doesn’t bother me, to be honest, and I don’t see how it is bothering anyone else.
“A lot of older people don’t want to hear the noise but we’ve just got used to it. They’re just driving their cars around – what harm can it do?”
But Albert Grainger, 61, also of Bulwell, added: “The rules are there for a reason. These people should be fined. If one group gets fined for breaching the rules then people who go to these car meets should too.”
The group then travelled along the M1 and tried to congregate at East Midlands Parkway.
There was significant traffic disruption on the A453. Officers managed to break up the event and the group dispersed around 9.45pm.
Jim Moore, 39, who repairs boats at Soar Valley Steel Boats, said: “I heard about a load of lads meeting up with their cars. I thought they had security down there at the power station car park. You can see the tyre marks on the road.
“It doesn’t bother me – I used to do the same sort of thing in my 20s. If they’re staying in their cars it isn’t a problem.”
Dave Kemble, 64, who works at Redhill Marina, said: “It’s totally wrong. It affects the NHS, the doctors and nurses who are working through the pandemic. Car meets are dangerous anyway, never mind during Covid. I think the police are too soft on them.”
PC Phil Broughton from the force’s road policing unit said: “These meet-ups become a problem for us when people drive those vehicles in a way that puts other road users, and themselves, at risk of serious injury or death.
“We will be putting more officers and resources into dealing with such events in the coming weeks and months to target people who break the law.
“Our investigation into this incident is under way, including working through the footage taken by officers to identify anyone who was acting illegally.
“Anyone we do identify can expect a visit from us in due course.
“We know this is an issue which matters to our community and we have done a lot of proactive work around it in response to that feedback.
“I completely understand how frustrating it can be to be bothered by noise or other issues related to this type of antisocial behaviour.
“That is why we have an ongoing operation to tackle such issues across Nottinghamshire, which sees officers regularly patrolling known hotspot areas, engaging with drivers and where necessary taking enforcement action.
“On this occasion this was a lastminute car meet event and no fines were issued. Officers were able to engage with the organisers and deal with any individual driving issues.
“On the whole, the group were generally well behaved and officers kept a close eye on the large numbers throughout. However, we will be pursuing anyone who drove dangerously on our Nottinghamshire roads.
“I would like to reassure the community that we understand of the impact of these issues and we will continue to work with our partners to do everything within our power to tackle them.”
If anyone has information, CCTV or dashcam footage, call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 654 of April 4, 2021.