Drifting cars a '˜nightmare' for tired residents

Sleep-deprived residents have criticised the police for its response to '˜drifting' cars which are keeping them up past midnight.
Julie Howell and Trish Jones at Orton Southgate at the site of car drifting gatherings at weekends EMN-170620-180342009Julie Howell and Trish Jones at Orton Southgate at the site of car drifting gatherings at weekends EMN-170620-180342009
Julie Howell and Trish Jones at Orton Southgate at the site of car drifting gatherings at weekends EMN-170620-180342009

Orton residents say they have been plagued by the loud sounds of racing vehicles for the past two years and called police on four nights last week, but nothing has been done.

Frustrations reached a tipping point after residents claimed 100 cars were drifting around the Stapledon Road industrial estate in Orton Southgate last Saturday, but police failed to attend.

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Trish Jones lives with partner Kevin Sargent and her two King Charles Spaniels in Beckingham, Orton Goldhay, which is separated from the industrial estate by Orton Parkway. But she said: “It’s like living next to a race track.

“Residents are stressed out. Kids are waking up, dogs are barking - it’s a nightmare.

“We are not getting sleep, and even when it stops we know it’s going to start again.

“I just feel like we are being ignored because we live in Orton Goldhay.” Debra Whittock (56) of Riseholme, Orton Goldhay, said: “The noise disturbs our sleep but as yet nothing has been done.

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“It is so bad that even with windows closed and the TV on this doesn’t drown it out.”

A police spokeswoman said work is ongoing to tackle the issue. She added: “Where possible we try to attend incidents such as these to monitor them for unlawful behaviour.

“Last weekend, due to high demand on available resources, we were unable to attend.

“When officers have attended incidents in this area in recent weeks they have not noted any unlawful behaviour while at the scene, meaning that it has not been possible to take further action.”

In January 2016 a man was jailed for 18 months after losing control of his car and crashing into a crowd while drifting in Stapledon Road.