Boy racers putting lives at risk, Bury St Edmunds residents say
Residents said boy racers were forcing homeowners out of the area and putting lives at risk.Suffolk Police dispersed a group of 20 drivers who had congregated at the Sybil Andrews Academy car park in Bury St Edmunds last week after reports of anti-social behaviour. The force handed out fines, seized a car and called the operation a success, but local people said they remained concerned as it had been a serious problem for some time.Graham West said there was a risk of a fatality: "Most definitely, people are walking with their children, their dogs. It is really, really dangerous."
The 72-year-old said he regularly saw cars "drifting" around the nearby roundabouts and motorcyclists "speeding up and down doing wheelies".He likened the noise to fighter aircraft going by his house."These people need to be taken off the road and have their vehicles seized – if that was to happen more often it would stop this in its tracks," he said.
Carl Hui, 52, said he regularly heard cars being revved and "doing doughnuts" near his home."They are very selfish and they are just rather deluded - they don't know how to behave like decent human beings."Adi Maddali, 38, who lives with his partner and two young children, has decided to leave the area after seven years."When we go on family walks, we are constantly having to look around and be careful, despite being on the pavement," he said."We are hoping to move out of here in the next month to a more quiet area - we've decided enough is enough and it's time to go."
Jane Gunsman, 68, meanwhile, said troublemaking teenagers were proving just as problematic as the boy racers and she had also considered moving out."A neighbour recently had a big tub of cream cheese thrown across her door, so it's very upsetting because it used to be a really nice area," she said."It has been spoilt by children, teenagers and cars at night - there is someone who regularly comes past of a night blowing their horn."
Police officers can disperse large groups of drivers using Public Space Protection Orders and have the powers to seize vehicles.They can also issue Traffic Offence Reports for more minor traffic violations and demand personal details if they reasonably believe someone has engaged in anti-social behaviour.Suffolk Police believes its latest action in Bury St Edmunds will show this type of behaviour is not acceptable.Vice chair of the Morton Hall Residents' Association Andy McGowan thinks there are wider issues that need looking at.He said: "I think we lack things for teenagers to do and if young people haven't got places to go and things to do, then the risk of them making decisions they shouldn't increases."
Suffolk Police said officers were working with the nearby school and gym to "not only look at disruption and enforcement, but prevention work".A spokesperson for Sybil Andrews Academy said: "We understand the concern of local residents about the anti-social activity in our school car park. "We welcome the recent actions of the police."
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