LOCALS living in the ‘UK’s Monte Carlo’ have slammed boy racers who allegedly turned their neighbourhood into a racing circuit.
Those in Sandbanks, Dorset hit out against the youths who reportedly assemble in their ‘hot hatches’ after dark and zoom around the affluent area at full speed.
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The teens band together at Tesco Express in their souped-up vehicles before heading out and clocking speeds of 80mph along 30mph routes, according to locals.
Roaring engines and screeching tyres are par for the course as the petrol heads try to nab first place around a make-do mile-long loop.
Residents claimed the lads then continue to showboat by performing doughnuts on the roundabout outside the Rick Stein restaurant.
Locals added they have encountered empty capsules of laughing gas and black tyre marks the following morning.
Nicol Stewart, 66, who has owned a house on Sandbanks for 15 years, said: “It’s normally at weekends when it happens. In the summer it’s ten times worse.
“I think if you’re someone who walks their dog late at night you would be quite terrified.
“Everybody has been saying for years that something is going to happen and somebody is going to die, but the council just isn’t interested.
“We asked for the limit to be put down to 20mph but the council said it wasn’t cost effective.
“We used to live in London and the councils just get stuff done there but here we just seem to go round in circles.”
The exclusive peninsula in Poole Harbour – often described as Britain’s version of Monte Carlo – is known for its stunning sea views, Blue Flag beaches and multi-million-pound waterfront mansions.
Well-heeled residents have included football manager Harry Redknapp and interior designer Celia Sawyer.
Reckless driving around the neighbourhood has resulted in a number of fatalities over the years.
On Boxing Day, three people were treated for injuries after a crash between a black Mercedes and grey BMW in Banks Road, Poole, at 1am.
A 17-year-old girl had to be cut free from the car and airlifted to hospital with “very serious injuries”.
In September 2010 two pedestrians in Sandbanks were killed when a drunk driver lost control of his Mercedes at high speed.
The alarm was sounded again after a 17-year-old girl was left fighting for her life after a horror smash.
She was the passenger in a black Mercedes which collided with a grey BMW on the Dorset peninsula.
She remains in hospital 10 days later.
Everybody has been saying for years that something is going to happen and somebody is going to die, but the council just isn’t interested
Nicol Stewart, local
Urgent calls by residents for cameras or speed humps have allegedly fallen on deaf ears.
John Butterworth, 77, owns several hotels in the area and has lived close to the scene of the latest accident for 40 years.
He said: “I know of four major accidents that have happened close to my home and three people have died over the years.
“People either race for the ferry or are racing round at night.
“The problem is the road is not designed for that speed because the camber is wrong.”
John Challinor, a local councillor, said: “We are very aware of the situation and have had meetings with the community group and the police teams.
“There’s no doubt young drivers use the area as a race track and Sandbanks car park as a meeting place.
“You can see from the tyre marks on the ground that they are doing doughnuts and spinning the cars.
“The harbour front has also become a meeting point for their hot hatches and souped up cars.
“It does sometimes lead to antisocial behaviour and I know the police have been doing some work to stop some of the offenders but they can’t be there all the time.
“It is a difficult thing to resolve, there are so many different challenges.
“Some people don’t want speed bumps because of the noise and I’m not sure putting 20mph markers would help – they are not paying attention to the 30 limit so why would they pay attention to 20?
“I absolutely understand and sympathise with people’s frustrations around this behaviour.”
Dorset Police introduced Operation Charge, an operation specifically to deal with motorists behaving irresponsibly and dangerously at Sandbanks two years ago.
Inspector Nick Lee, of the Poole Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “First and foremost it is important to stress that the collision in Banks Road on Tuesday 26 December 2023 remains the subject of an active investigation by our roads policing team to establish the full circumstances and it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of this incident at this time.
“In relation to the general issue of reports of anti-social driving, this is something we take seriously and our roads policing team, local neighbourhood teams and operational colleagues regularly patrol known hotspots for this type of activity.
“Under Operation Charge, we regularly patrol Sandbanks and other priority areas in Poole as part of our ongoing response to concerns raised by the local community.
“As well as posing serious risks to road users, we recognise the kind of activity can also have a significant impact on local residents and we will take proportionate action wherever necessary to tackle this issue.
“We work regularly with partners and local community groups to ensure speed enforcement measures are reviewed and put in place where appropriate.
“We use a combination of education and enforcement tactics and have a number of powers we can utilise to prevent anti-social behaviour from escalating such as the issuing of warning notices and seizure of vehicles.”
Councillor Millie Earl, Deputy Leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council said the authority is waiting for the results of a police probe into a crash on Boxing Day.
She added: “Once Dorset Police provide their report on this incident, their information will be used alongside additional data to consider the safety position further.
“Our team regularly review all collisions that result in casualties across the conurbation and examine all sites where safety concerns have been raised by members of the public. As it stands, none of the roads on the Peninsula currently meet our criteria for further measures.
“Factors that may be considered during such a review include the frequency of road collisions in the area and their severity and cause, plus the geometry of the road and the impact of any engineering required to promote lower speeds.
“With the current financial pressures facing all local authorities, we must also be certain we are spending taxpayers’ money in areas of BCP where it will be most effective in reducing casualties.”
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