Warnings issued following large car meets in Peterborough

We have issued official warnings to drivers following large-scale car meets in Peterborough at the weekend.

On Saturday evening (27 August) we received two calls for service about large car meets, one at about 8.50pm at the Pleasure Fair Meadow car park off Oundle Road, the other just before 10pm in the Newcombe Road area of Orton Southgate.

Officers were deployed to both areas, however, due to the volume of people, vehicles and instances of anti-social behaviour at Orton Southgate, a dispersal order was authorised by an inspector to cover the area of Newcombe Way, Bakewell Rd, Southgate Way, the A1139 Orton Parkway and the entirety of the Lynch Wood business park, between 10.30pm on Saturday and 6am on Sunday.

The order gave officers additional powers to direct people to leave the area and not return if they deemed their behaviour was causing members of the public to be harassed, alarmed or distressed or would likely cause crime or disorder in the area.

Three section 59 warnings under the Police Reform Act 2002 were issued where vehicles were being used in a manner which caused alarm, distress or annoyance – two at Orton Southgate, one at Fair Meadow.

Tickets were also issued for various vehicle defects, including a ‘prohibition’ meaning one driver could not legally drive their vehicle until the defects had been rectified.

A Home Office Road Traffic Form 1 (HORT1) was issued to one driver who could not produce proof of their driving licence, insurance and test certificate. They must return the form with the relevant documents to police with seven days or face prosecution.

PC Ben Warner, from the southern Peterborough Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The three drivers who received the section 59 warnings will be receiving Community Protection Warnings which will ban them from the area of Orton Southgate and Pleasure Fair Meadow car park, as well as prohibiting any anti-social use of their vehicles for the next three months.

“We understand the impact anti-social behaviour such as these car meets has on our local community, which is why there is a multi-agency approach in place regarding enforcement of any car meet related anti-social behaviour or criminality.

“As with any event, we continue to encourage people to report issues to us and we will respond appropriately.”

Anti-social driving can be reported to us via our web chat service or online forms at www.cambs.police.uk/report. Anyone without internet access should call 101.

Always dial 999 in an emergency where someone is in immediate danger, or a crime is in action.