Police seek long-term solution to Dearne area boy-racer problems

Success: John Healey with gates which reduced problems at Cortonwood retail parkSuccess: John Healey with gates which reduced problems at Cortonwood retail park
Success: John Healey with gates which reduced problems at Cortonwood retail park
BOY racers have been unofficially closing sections of road to use it as a racetrack, it has emerged following a tough policing operation in the Dearne.

Police swooped on an irregular car ‘meet’ which had involved around 50 vehicles, many modified with loud exhausts and ‘dump valves’, which cause excessive engine noise, to seize some vehicles and issue penalties to other drivers.

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That involved closing down a section of the road, near Cortonwood, but the group had been causing anti-social behaviour problems across an area from Cudworth and through Middlecliffe before being tracked to Cortonwood.

Residents were told at a police community meeting in the area that the problem had been going on for some time, with those involved changing locations after police intervention.

A Barnsley Council officer said that on one occasion, those involved had put up their own road-closure signs to cordon off a section of road for them to use.

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Now police have pledged to take the next step forwards and look for long-term solutions to the problem, rather than just moving it from one area to another through enforcement action.

There have been long-standing problems around Cortonwood retail park, which saw the intervention of MP John Healey and then Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings several years ago.

That culminated in security gates being installed to keep unwelcome visitors out at night.

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Residents at the meeting said that although those measures had a positive impact, the situation had gradually deteriorated since.

South Yorkshire Police have now promised that local neighbourhood teams across the areas affected by car ‘meets’, including Rotherham, would be involved in consultations to look for ways to stop the problem.

Colleagues in West Yorkshire, also affected, would also be involved.

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Darfield Cllr Kevin Osborne praised some car enthusiasts, who meet at the Cross Keys pub in the village, at organised meetings called ‘Classics at the Keys’ taking a responsible attitude and showing pride in their vehicles, he said.

There were “no burn-outs, no do-nuts, no loud music, just people who enjoy sharing and showing off their cars.”

“They are knowledgable and loathe the boy-racer tag,” he said.