Met operation proscribes offence of ‘anti-social driving’, among all the ‘doughnuts’ and drag races staged near Ikea in Valley Retail Park
Yellow peril: one of the vehicles seized by the Metropolitan Police in a clampdown on the Thursday night ‘cruise’ staged in and around Valley Retail Park
The Metropolitan Police claim that they impounded 21 vehicles in a single night in Croydon on Thursday, in the latest clampdown against the regular high-speed “cruises” staged around Valley Park, tackling what they called “anti-social driving” and “numerous” road traffic offences.
Inside Croydon has previously reported on large-scale police operations conducted against the organised weekly gathering of hundreds of spectators and souped-up vehicles, which have featured fireworks and loud sound systems on the retail park’s roads and in car parks alongside Ikea.
Booked: the police ‘processed’ numerous ‘anti-social driving’ cases
The gatherings have been happening at sites along the A23 in Croydon for around 20 years, with the motorised parades sometimes seeing vehicles involved in drag racing on suburban streets – in some cases leading to fatalities.
In a tweet, police from Broad Green said that more than 60 officers had taken part in the operation, which they had been working on for two months.
“Over 200 Section 59 Police Reform Act 2002 warnings have been issued since July 2021 in this area,” the police tweeted this morning.
“The S59 warnings are issued if you are driving without due care and attention or under S34 Road Traffic Act and you are causing or likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance. If you commit a similar offence within 12 months your vehicle can be seized under this legislation.
“The team ran an operation supported by [the Met’s road and transport command and the Special Constabulary] and other units at Valley Park, Croydon, to tackle anti-social vehicle driving and racing.
“We seized 21 vehicles last night and processed numerous drivers for road traffic offences.”
On the record: the original Broad Green police tweet
The police say that a further 16 S59 warning have been given out and four people have been reported to the Magistrates Court for not being properly insured.
The police tweets continued: “A significant amount of police work has gone into the success of this operation and we are hopeful that this will send a clear message to key individuals that this dangerous behaviour will not be tolerated.
“We’re aware this ASB has had a huge impact on our local community.”
And there was a barely veiled warning of continuing action against the cruisers: “This behaviour won’t be tolerated,” the police tweeted.
“And we will be taking similar action should the activities continue.”
Read more: ‘Hostile’ crowd threw missiles at police in cruise clampdown
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