Lives at risk fear over ‘boy racers’

8:30pm Wednesday 20th August 2008

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A STOURPORT resident says “boy racers” are making his life a misery and putting people’s lives at risk along his road.

Last week, the Shuttle/Times & News reported that irresponsible drivers were using Stourport town centre as a racetrack.

Now Bill Haigh, 54, of Wilden Lane, a managing director of a property development company, believes many of the same vehicles can be seen driving at excessive speeds down his road.

He said: “Most nights, from 8pm through to the early hours, we are subjected to noise and danger from cars travelling at ridiculous speeds along our road.

“Some of the drivers of these cars are travelling regularly from Lidl’s car park to park up either at McDonald’s or on the car park outside Homebase. They meet here to chat and then race back in the other direction.

“It is mainly boy racers in souped-up cars. I imagine I see the same vehicles as those seen racing around the streets of Stourport town centre.”

Mr Haigh has lived in Wilden Lane for more than 15 years and says it has been the site of many serious accidents, especially along the section between Wilden village and Worcester Road.

He explained that “countless” cars had been damaged and many drivers and passengers injured. He added there were currently signs appealing for witnesses to a serious accident that took place last June.

Mr Haigh said: “Is it going to take someone actually dying on the road before any action is taken by Worcestershire County Council?

“How can we can get the speed limit reduced and then enforced? Maybe traffic calming measures should be in place – speed bumps, speed cameras, in fact anything to stop the area being used as a racetrack.”

A spokeswoman for Worcestershire County Council said: “The incidents that are occurring on Wilden village to Worcester road are a matter for police investigations.

“We are not in the position to change the speed limit or carry out speed reduction investigations unless there is formal request to do so.

“The noise produced and the speeds that the cars are travelling at are matters for the police.”

Sgt Neil Jarvis, of Stourport police, said: “We are not aware of a problem with boy racers in Wilden Lane but if residents are concerned about vehicles being driven in an anti-social, illegal or dangerous manner, we do urge them to contact us.”

He explained police could issue Section 59 orders to offenders so that if they were stopped for similar behaviour in England or Wales over the following 12 months, the vehicle could be seized and disposed of.

He added: “Police will always investigate reports of anti-social driving and would urge anyone who witnesses such incidents to contact them on 08457 444888 with as much information, including registration numbers, as possible.”