Car cruisers warned by police

A SENIOR police officer has pledged to put more young car enthusiasts who gather and race by a Notts motorway junction before the courts.

Inspector Russell Dew, the new local area commander for Hucknall, said the past month had seen his officers arrest three men, seize three cars and issue more than 50 injunctions banning the 'cruisers', sometimes known as boy racers, from gathering off Junction 27 of the M1 at Annesley Woodhouse.

Now he has secured funding to continue to operate a high police presence in the area.

He said: "My officers and I have been up there on three of the last four weekends and we will continue to be there while these gatherings continue.

"We are in the process of putting one cruiser who has broken an injunction before the courts and others will follow.

"I can't help thinking that if they continue to gather there will be a nasty smash and someone will die.

"We will be back there this weekend and will look to use all legal powers available to us."

Last year, Notts police secured an injunction at Nottinghamshire County Court banning the car enthusiasts – who often share a passion for modified cars – from gathering in one place in the county.

In April this year Adam Barnfather, 18, of Parkhall Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, became the first driver in the country to be convicted for breaching such an injunction.

Notts cruisers expressed their anger at being banned from a national conference on the policing of cruisers held in Annesley in March.

Mr Dew, who recently became Hucknall's fourth local area commander in the past 15 months, said he was keen to reassure local residents that he wanted to bring "consistency" to policing in the town.

His pledge follows a heated public meeting on local crime organised by the Notts Police Authority at Hucknall's George Street Working Men's Club.

Mr Dew said: "A number of residents expressed concern that the town's police station on Watnall Road was at times not open in the evening.

"We had a massive problem trying to recruit people to do front office duties. That problem has now been solved.

"We have response officers covering the town through the night, and members of the public can phone the police control room directly when the station front office is closed.

"I have been a police officer for 15 years and worked in Notts for the past seven years. I want to bring consistency to policing Hucknall."

guy.woodford@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk