A LOCAL councillor has called for further action to tackle the ongoing issue of illegal car meets and boy racers on the Dearne Valley Parkway.

Gatherings on the Dearne Valley Parkway have caused outrage, with complaints made to the police resulting in the issue being made a long-term priority by the Barnsley South Neighbourhood Policing Team.

Residents say they have witnessed night-time races taking place on the route, as well as boy racers performing handbrake turns.

Meetings have been held with residents to keep them in the loop and more operations will be scheduled in to deter boy racers from going to the area.

Wombwell councillor James Higginbottom has called for further action, with residents’ complaints ramping up due to the dangerous nature of the meets.

At yesterday’s full council meeting, he asked the new Reform council what plans they have in place to ease residents’ woes.

Coun Higginbottom told the Chronicle: “These car meets have been occurring periodically for some time and are a huge nuisance for local residents, especially those living in Lundhill and on the border with Brampton.

“I’ve been pushing for action on this for some time with South Yorkshire Police and it is reassuring that extra patrols and resources are being directed into this area, especially during the summer months when these events become more frequent.

“Now is the time for extra enforcement powers to be put in place to support the good work that the Police and council wardens are doing.

“I’m calling for the introduction of a public spaces protection order on the Dearne Valley Parkway to enable swifter enforcement to happen.

“The PSPOs have been shown to work in other areas and could make a big difference in tackling this problem.”