THE FOUNDER of one Swindon car club has spoken out, following reports of boy racers speeding along Great Western Way.
He fears that the behaviour of a small number of anti-social drivers was damaging the reputation of more responsible car enthusiasts who enjoy the weekend meets as an alternative to Saturday night TV or a night at the pub.
Martin Wernham, 29, who lives near Avebury, said: “We feel we’re all getting targeted with the same brush.”
He is one of the founders of Pure Car Enthusiasts – a group for those interested in high-performance cars.
Martin said: “People in Swindon and the surrounding areas – we’re not boy racers. I’m not condoning them. I can’t stop them. But we’re all getting tarnished with the same brush.
“Meeting up on Saturday night, it’s like going out in the town centre.”
Recent coverage of so-called boy racers driving at speed along Great Western Way has left Martin and other car enthusiasts frustrated. He said that their meets were often family affairs, with some drivers bringing their children. At a recent night time meet on Saturday, the groups had fully cooperated with police after officers received complaints, he said.
Earlier this week, the Adver reported one woman’s concerns about car meets near Bridgemead.
The 52-year-old from Rushey Platt, who did not want to be named, said the problem was getting worse. She said of the meets: “It’s becoming a thing now. It’s definitely worse at the weekends. Outside Pets at Home last week was the worst it’s been. There were about 30 cars. I’m not bothered about that, but it’s the fact they were racing.”
Wiltshire Police confirmed they were investigating. A spokesman said: “We received reports of this incident and we are making enquiries.”
No arrests have been made, the force said.
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