A ‘ZERO tolerance’ approach will be taken on boy racers who choose to continue attending illegal car meets in Barnsley over the summer following repeated warnings from the police.
Following large-scale meets in the town centre, Cudworth Parkway, Cortonwood and the Dearne Valley Parkway, officers involved in the crackdown have warned that motorists who gather at the locations are being tracked.
The police believe they have built up a database of known offenders thanks to vehicle registration plates caught attending meet-ups in the spring.
Sergeant Martyn Micklethwaite, from the roads policing team, leads the work around car meets.
He said: “We know there are people who meet with other car enthusiasts in a safe and controlled way to enjoy each other’s cars and company, and we will always extend our offer to work with organisers to fulfil this.
“But while we hear that meeting is not illegal, which is correct, the meets we see across South Yorkshire are not ‘harmless fun’.
“They are not always car enthusiasts, they are opportunists who want to show off in front of crowds in poorly-maintained vehicles.
“Officers across the force are working hard to bring offenders to justice, but we know we are stronger with our communities’ help and continue to urge you to report incidents to us.
“We care for our communities, we care for everyone’s safety, and we ask that everyone thinks before they attend meets to help us help you.”
Roads policing officers say they have seen the aftermath of when car meets go wrong, with people nearly losing their lives, and one motorcyclist losing a limb after a collision.
In addition to the safety aspect of the meets, local residents are also blighted with noise from the vehicles and pollution.
Councillor James Higginbottom, who represents the Wombwell ward, backed the action having confirmed residents’ complaints have ramped up due to the dangerous nature of the meets.
Coun Higginbottom told the Chronicle: “These car meets have been occurring periodically for some time and are a huge nuisance for local residents.
“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 due to the weather.
“A public spaces protection order (PSPO) is something I back as it will enable swifter enforcement action to happen.
“The PSPOs have been shown to work in other areas and could make a big difference in tackling this problem.”
