Police block car park to stop 'cruises'

Dozens of drivers regularly congregate in the North Bondgate car park, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on Sunday nights, which some use as a starting point for speed contests across a nearby viaduct.

Residents have complain-ed for months about the gatherings, similar to those held on industrial estates and other open spaces around the region.

Information on the cruises is passed on through Internet websites and chat rooms and police acknowledge that most drivers do not break the law, meeting other car fans to display their motors.

In Bishop Auckland, several drivers have been prosecuted for offences, including careless driving, and others have been issued with fixed penalty tickets.

But this has not proved a sufficient deterrent, so owner Wear Valley District Council was asked to close the car park overnight, from 6pm.

By 8.30pm last night, about 100 cars had gathered outside Morrison's supermarket, but there were not believed to have been any arrests.

Inspector Ivan Wood, of Bishop Auckland police, said: "This has been a long- running problem. We have tried education and advice, we have issued leaflets to all the drivers, and we have prosecuted those we have seen committing offences on the road.

"We have told them we support their right to lawful assembly, but we will not condone anti-social behaviour or the flouting of road traffic law. We have had reports of cars doing handbrake turns in the car park and even someone setting up an amplifier and speakers for an open-air disco late at night.

"This is a residential area and we have had a large number of complaints."

Paula Jo Barker, who lives next to the car park, said: "The problem is that the minority have spoiled things for the majority."

Cruiser Andy Potts, from Ferryhill, warned that drivers may just move to another site.

He said: "What I do not understand is what the real threat is of many people sat in a car park."