Anti-social car cruisers in Milton Keynes have been fined a total of £2,000 after MK Council introduced a Public Space Protection Order earlier this year.
The Council instated the ban on anti-social car cruising following a public consultation in which over 1,000 residents said they’d been negatively affected.
Most drivers caught taking part in anti-social car cruising behaviours in MK, which includes excessive noise and driving at dangerous speeds, were not residents of Milton Keynes – but from neighbouring areas, including Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, as well as from further afield – Oxfordshire, Leicestershire and Kent.
MK Council is working with Thames Valley Police (TVP) to enforce the PSPO. Almost 20 Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued to anti-social car cruisers since February. Money from the fines will support the work being done by the Council and TVP to tackle and prevent violent crime in MK.
In 2019, a five-year-old child in MK was taken to hospital after being hit by a driver participating in car cruising, and a number of people in Stevenage were seriously injured after being run over at an event.
Council officers have tried to engage with car cruising organisers to discuss how ‘car meets’ can be carried out safely and without causing a nuisance to local people.
Councillor Lauren Townsend, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “I hope these strong statistics send a clear message to anybody taking part in anti-social car cruising in Milton Keynes. You can’t abuse our roads and put our residents’ safety at risk - you will be caught, and you will be fined.
“We want MK to be a safe place for everyone who lives, works and visits here. My thanks go out to council colleagues and partners for the work they do to keep us all safe.”
