Police patrolling one of Britain’s richest villages have begun a crackdown on wealthy boy racers using its genteel streets to engage in ‘Fast and Furious’ race meetings in high performance cars.
Officers have been inundated with complaints from locals in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, about ‘loud revving of engines, rapid acceleration from junctions and general exhibitionist behaviour’ by youngsters in luxury vehicles.
The crimewave has enraged the residents of the village, home to Premier League footballers and TV personalities including Paddy McGuinness, and where more Champagne is sold per head than anywhere else in the UK.
Youths in the village, where properties are among the most expensive outside the South East of England, have also been caught holding organised meetings to race their vehicles just like the Vin Diesel movie franchise.
A planned ‘car meet’ was halted last month after officers sent in extra patrols and stopped cars travelling to it, while police caught 33 speeding motorists in a day last week as they raced along a stretch of road into the village.
A Mercedes-Benz AMG GT R Pro is among the supercars to have been driven through Alderley Edge in recent weeks. There is no suggestion that this specific car or any of those in the below pictures have been involved in any illegal activity
A McLaren 675LT Coupe S-A is another of the supercars which has been driven in recent weeks through the Cheshire village
A bystander films a McClaren 600LT V8 S-A supercar driving through the streets of Alderley Edge in recent weeks
Youths watch from the roadside as a McClaren Senna V8 S-A is driven through Alderley Edge in recent weeks
Police and locals are patrolling Alderley Edge amid a crackdown on wealthy boy racers driving supercars through the streets
And officers have told drivers they could seize their vehicles under Section 59 of the Police and Reform Act 2002 if they continue to to drive in a way ‘likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public’.
Now Cheshire Police and Cheshire East Council have asked locals to take part in a survey to help them deal with the issue in the village, which forms part of the county’s upmarket ‘Golden Triangle’.
Questions include how often they have heard or seen ‘loud excessive engine noise, fast acceleration, wheel spinning, convoys of high performance vehicles and gatherings of individuals to spectate.’
A statement said: ‘We have been receiving increased reports from members of public, businesses and residents concerning Anti-Social Behaviour relating to performance vehicles travelling through and visiting Alderley Edge.
‘Reports have included, loud revving of engines and engine noises, rapid acceleration from junctions and traffic lights, speeding and general exhibitionist behaviour from a minority driving these kinds of vehicles.
One of the supercars which has been driven through the streets of Alderley Edge in recent weeks
Officers have been inundated with complaint about ‘loud revving of engines’ and ‘rapid acceleration from junctions’
The racing supercars have enraged the residents of the Cheshire village, which is home to Premier League footballers
Police patrolling Alderley Edge have begun a crackdown on wealthy boy racers using its genteel streets for race meetings
‘We have also received reports around this behaviour being encouraged on the public highway by groups of individuals gathering whom wish to film/view the performance vehicles ‘in action’.
‘In addition to the above, we have also received reports of organised gatherings of performance vehicles nearby which has caused disruption to those wishing to use the highway and living/working/visiting the area.
‘Whilst we appreciate that this behaviour is only being displayed by a minority of individuals; it has however come to our attention that this is potentially having a detrimental impact on those visiting, residing and working in the area.
‘The noise created from the excessive revving and acceleration of these vehicles can be extremely loud and upsetting. More importantly, when performed on the public highway this can also be very dangerous and can place members of the public at serious risk.
‘We have been asked to consider options in relation to how this sort of behaviour is tackled.
‘Part of this process is to engage with local residents, businesses and visitors to the area including those who may be involved in the behaviour highlighted in order to look at the frequency of the reported behaviour and the impact it might be having.’
Local residents have also complained to police about ‘general exhibitionist behaviour’ by youngsters in luxury vehicles
Officers have told the supercar drivers they could seize their vehicles under Section 59 of the Police and Reform Act 2002
Cheshire Police and Cheshire East Council have asked locals to take part in a survey to help them deal with the issue
Youths in the village also been caught holding organised meetings to race their vehicles just like in the Fast and Furious films
In its message to villagers, they added: ‘We would also like to listen to your ideas as to how you might think this behaviour is best addressed or whether you think that this behaviour has any impact on you.’
The closing date for the survey is September 1. But local resident Guy Adams posted a message on the Alderley Edge Police Facebook page, saying: ‘Cars were racing through the village last night and are doing it again this morning… If you actually speak to residents they will tell you where the idiots live.’
In June, local councillor Craig Browne claimed sports car owners were seeking social media fame as they caused a ‘public nuisance’ by loudly revving their engines to get onto YouTube channels.
But local YouTuber Joardan Belsham, who has filmed cars in Alderley Edge at weekends for six years for his Supercars in Manchester channel, denied loud revving was ‘a big problem’ in the village.
He told the BBC it was discouraged by photographers and ‘not something that happens very often’, adding: ‘When it does some locals tend to jump on it as an excuse to bring in the council.’
In March, the Sunday People carried out an investigation into how boy racers were boasting of topping 200mph in supercharged cars on YouTube videos which have hundreds of thousands of fans.