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What is it like living next to a boy racer hotspot?

Paul MoseleyNorfolk political reporter
Paul Moseley/BBC Four men stand side by side on a sunlit roadside, with parked vehicles and trees behind them. Paul Moseley/BBC
Residents in Britannia Road say little action has ever taken against boy racers

"Honestly, it gets to you. You hear that noise in the distance and you tense up a bit, going, is it coming this way?"

It is a question that Stephen Robinson often asks himself.

He lives on Britannia Road in Norwich, where residents say boy racers have been gathering for more than 20 years.

"From five at night to five in the morning.. you can have these popping, roaring cars, coming down or just parked up here, revving, doing burnouts and things," Robinson said.

There is a banning order to help police crackdown on the drivers, but people living here say it has made little difference.

Supplied A night-time roadside scene showing several people gathered beside a parked car with its door open. Other vehicles are nearby. The image is taken from phone camera footage, with dark surroundings and limited lighting from vehicles.Supplied
Footage recorded by residents showed drivers blocking the road to meet up

Situated between the city's prison and Mousehold Heath, some of the best views in Norwich can be seen from Britannia Road.

But residents regularly see drivers speeding along the tight residential street and parking up in the road for "car meets".

"It's typical of them to accelerate up to about 60mph then brake hard ahead of the T-junction," said Eva, who did not want to give her last name.

"[It's] very dangerous as this is an extremely narrow street, not to mention a 20mph zone," she added.

Paul Moseley/BBC A close-up outdoor picture of Stephen Robinson. He is standing in a car park near an open green space. Vehicles and wooden posts are visible behind him, with warm sunlight and a shallow depth of field.Paul Moseley/BBC
Stephen Robinson said speeding and loud noises could be a problem in the street at any time of the day

"It's not just kids," explained Robinson.

"You get grown people with their families. We've had a tricked-out Ford Galaxy and someone with an old burgundy Volvo estate who'd show up and rev for a while - it's strange.

"I don't get the mindset."

Paul Moseley/BBC A wide view of grassy heathland with footpaths, benches, and scattered trees. People sit and walk in the distance. A city skyline with a prominent cathedral spire is visible on the horizon under a bright, clear sky.Paul Moseley/BBC
The top of Britannia Road provides striking views across Mousehold Heath into Norwich

"If you like to get to sleep, you're better off maybe doing it during the day," according to Peter Thurston, who said the gatherings often became intimidating.

"They're very noisy, either people getting drunk and shouting and screaming, constantly blasting horns, playing loud music, revving engines, backfiring engines.. anything, you know, just name it."

Supplied A blurred night-time scene capturing a fast moving white car on a road, speeding past a stationary red car. Street signs and silhouettes of trees appear against a dark blue evening sky.Supplied
Residents have filmed cars exceeding the road's 20mph speed limit

Three years ago the city council introduced a so-called public spaces protection order (PSPO), covering all of Norwich.

While dangerous driving, stunts and speeding are already illegal, the order "bans" them and gives authorities additional powers to issue fines of £100 to those breaching the order, which can rise to £1,000 if no payment is made.

When the order was introduced, the council said some car meets could involve more than 100 vehicles at a time and warned that residents "have been threatened and abused by drivers".

"The PSPO is intended to minimise the risk of potential tragic consequences which are more likely the longer the issue goes unaddressed," the council also said.

The authority is now in the process of extending the order for a further three years, but people in Britannia Road say it has not made a difference so far.

"There seems no political will whatsoever to enforce it," said Thurston.

"Despite nightly violations, there's been precisely zero on-the-spot fines."

Paul Moseley/BBC A wide outdoor scene showing a large red-brick historic building with a clock tower. In front, a gravel car park contains several parked vehicles and a few people with a dog. Green grass and trees surround the area under bright, clear blue skies.Paul Moseley/BBC
A former army barracks overlooks the road and public car park where drivers gather after dark

Residents are now coming together to push for action by forming a community association.

Part of the plan also involves logging reports and footage of the drivers, with Tom Thornhill – who moved to the area recently – collating the data.

He is motivated by the fact his partner, a cardiology nurse who works shifts, constantly has her sleep disrupted by the noise.

"It's to incentivise residents to still continue reporting, not to give up… we have to really group together in that way," Thornhill said.

A spokeswoman for Norfolk Police said it was aware of problems in Britannia Road and it had been working with partners, including the city council, "to combat the issue".

She also pointed to its "Operation Octane" campaign - aimed at dealing with anti-social drivers - and insisted: "We have regular patrols in hotspot areas and known 'meet' locations."

Following the local elections in May, the Greens are now in control of the city council.

Denise Carlo, the councillor responsible for housing and communities, said she would raise the issues in Britannia Road with the police.

She also told the BBC she was keen to meet with residents to discuss "how their lives are being made miserable by boy racers".

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