Authorities hail success of injunction against car cruising
Public authorities in Nottinghamshire have hailed the success of a court injunction designed to tackle repeated car cruising.
The South Nottinghamshire Community Safety Partnership applied in April 2012 for an injunction banning drivers and passengers from taking part in an area between Burton Joyce and Colwick.
Action was taken after more than 200 vehicles used to congregate on Sunday evenings at Victoria Retail Park in Netherfield.
Nottinghamshire Police and local authorities said they had received “scores of complaints” about the noise and anti-social behaviour.
There have been no complaints to the police since the injunction was ordered. It will last until December 2014.
The terms of the injunction also included a prohibition on drivers and their passengers from causing excessive noise, danger to road users, injury to others and damage to property.
DCI Andrew Hall, Head of Road Crime Operations at Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The antisocial behaviour and noise created by car cruising had blighted the lives of both residents and businesses in and around Victoria Retail Park.
“The injunction appears to have stamped out the problem and there have been no reports that cars have shifted to another location. Its success is something that should be applauded but does not mean that we have become complacent. ”
Nottinghamshire Police said it would continue with increased patrols in the evenings, CCTV monitoring and the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras in the retail park.
Cllr Michael Payne, portfolio holder for Communications and Public Protection at Gedling Borough Council, said: “Car cruising has been a problem for a considerable amount of time. We have received hundreds of complaints from concerned residents and businesses whose lives have been blighted week after week.
“Injunctions in other areas have been successful and we are very pleased that the injunction here appears to have stamped out the cruisers and should now bring back some quality and peace to the local people – particularly on Sunday evenings. ”
Nottinghamshire County Council was assisted by barrister Neil Wylie of KCH Garden Square in obtaining the injunction.
