POLICE have declared war on boy racers who have blighted Glasgow city centre.

 

Senior officers today vowed to set up a dispersal zone in a car cruising hotspot if the blaring car stereos, noisy exhausts and revving of engines continues.

Figures show there has been a "significant" number of anti-social behaviour incidents around the Blythswood Square area,

The dispersal order gives police the power to effectively ban drivers causing alarm or distress in the community.

Extra officers would be deployed to the area to enforce the order, which would ban boy racers from a specified area for up to three months.

Several streets can be covered by the order, and areas such as Pitt Street, would be a no-go zone for boy racers.

Inspector Gavin Smith, said: "A full dispersal order is a distinct possibility if the car cruisers will not moderate or relocate to somewhere more suitable.

"We do not want to go to this extreme but have few other options left."

Senior officers vowed to go after the boy racers by using anti-social behaviour laws, almost 50 alleged offences being detected during the latest police blitz.

Parking attendants were also forced to 'move on' more than 50 souped-up vehicles during the operation.

Last week, the Evening Times revealed police were targeting the drivers with hi-tech equipment for measuring noise.

Specialist technology and environmental health officers were drafted as part of the city centre operation.

Officers uncovered 48 alleged offences, during the past two weekends, including excessive speeding and road traffic offences.

Anti-social behaviour warnings, parking tickets, and fines for faulty exhausts were also handed out.

Police have also received more than 200 noise complaints, in the past year, about the dozens of high-performance vehicles.

Inspector Smith, who is leading the crackdown, said: "Four road crashes and more than 200 separate noise complaints since last April show the need for this action.

"My job is to keep people safe in Glasgow city centre.

"And my primary concern is that more than 50 high-performance cars touring through the city centre streets is fundamentally unsafe."

We previously told how police will seize boy racers' souped-up cars if they continue to pedestrians and other drivers are being put at risk.

In October, two young men cheated death when they ploughed through an electricity box, smashing into a city centre building.

Both the driver and passenger escaped without any injuries and were taken to hospital as a precaution.

Meanwhile, hotel guests, who say they are kept awake by the noise of cars into the early hours, have threatened to boycott the city.

Inspector Smith added: "Hotel guests are left disappointed and are not slow to let everyone know what a poor impression of Glasgow they found during their visit.

"Sometimes they decide it's their last visit.

"The public road is not for racing or rallying and I don't think some of the drivers fully appreciate the impact this is having - or the risks.

"We are now working with our partners, including Glasgow City Council, Community Safety Glasgow and City Parking, to find a lasting solution."