
A '70mph boy racer' crash at a 'Fast and Furious'-style car meet has been branded an 'accident waiting to happen' by residents who say they have warned police over the dangers 'hundreds of times'.

A Nissan 350z clipped a black Toyota GT86 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, at the monthly event, sending both vehicles ploughing into huge crowds that had lined the roadside.

Julian Castano, 22, was allegedly driving at 70mph in the Nissan while the driver of the Toyota has been named locally as Dominic Brown, from St Albans, who works in a Toyota dealership.

The Nissan was sent flying across a central reservation while the Toyota went careering to its left by the impact, smashing into more spectators who were on the pavement and a grassy bank behind it. Witnesses said the Toyota had performed a 'reckless donut stunt' moments before the crash, and the driver had to be cut free from the vehicle by emergency services.

Police have identified and interviewed the drivers of the two cars which crashed into the crowds.

In a statement, Hertfordshire assistant chief constable Nathan Briant said that police were still working to 'fully understand' the events, having identified more than 130 witnesses.

An investigative team was formed to ensure each will be contacted for a statement, and police are urging the public to hand over any dashcam footage.

The blue Nissan on the right hurtles along the A602 in Stevenage, clipping the slower-moving black vehicle on the left and sending them both crashing into spectators at a Thursday night car meet

Residents nearby repeatedly slammed the event - which was advertised on social media - and called on Hertfordshire Police to shut it down 'hundreds of times'.

Harrowing footage from the scene in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, showed screaming spectators, many of them just teenagers, desperately trying to help badly wounded victims after they were 'sent flying'.

Relatives told MailOnline Mr Castano, a carpenter, from Ingatestone, Essex, was involved in the crash today and said he 'needed time with his family' but refused to speak further. He has previously shared pictures of the Nissan on social media and referred to it as the 'smiling maker'.

Meanwhile Mindaugas 'Mindy' Dambrauskas, 26, said he was Mr Brown's passenger in the Toyota and said the collision pushed them 20 yards across the road and into the pavement 'knocking people over like bowling pins'.

Today Chief Inspector Alicia Shaw said police were 'unaware' of last night's event despite it being shared on Facebook earlier in the day with almost 300 people registering their interest.

Relatives confirmed the driver of the Nissan is Julian Castano, pictured left, 22, of Essex, and relatives said he 'needed time with his family'. Dominic Brown, pictured right, who was visiting the event from St Albans, was driving the Toyota

Mr Castano, left, has previously shared pictures of the Nissan 350z, right, on social media, calling it the 'smiling make'

Witnesses claimed Mr Brown had spun the car with a donut stunt seconds before. Its tyres could be heard screeching as it pulled out of the retail park and on to the road moments before Mr Castano’s Toyota appeared.

A passenger in the Toyota, Mindaugas Dambrauskas, 26, said he was amazed that he and driver Mr Brown both emerged uninjured.

‘It happened so quickly,’ he said. ‘We pulled out of the car park and the Nissan crashed straight into us and pushed us up on the kerb – we travelled for about 20 metres. We were knocking people over like bowling pins, it was horrific.’ Mr Dambrauskas, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, said Mr Brown was ‘frozen’ with shock.

‘I jumped out of the car and saw bodies covered in blood all over the place,’ he said. ‘A man shouted that we needed to lift the car up because someone was stuck underneath. We all lifted it up and he got free.’ Spectators, many of them teenagers, rushed to help. Ambulances and an air ambulance arrived as Hertfordshire Police declared a major emergency.

One resident, Claire Budge, said: ‘They can’t handle these cars properly as a lot of them are young new drivers.’

Mr Brown, pictured left and right, works at a Toyota dealership and his passenger Mindaugas 'Mindy' Dambrauskas, 26, said the pair emerged unscathed. Mr Dambrauskas described the shocking scenes when the Toyota ploughed into the crowd as 'knocking people over like bowling pins'

Another, Lo Mac, added: ‘It’s just been pure luck that nothing like this has happened before.’

Victims included Robert Binns, who posted a photo of himself in a neck brace. He said: ‘I was flipped up in the air by the GT86 and landed on my head. Have whiplash, concussion, cuts and bruises. So I’m very lucky.’

Witness Ciaran O’Connor, 33, was on his way home when he saw the crash. ‘The car veered off into the crowd,’ he said . ‘The kids that were standing there had one second to react and they went flying.’ Event organiser Rix Sidhu, 29, said he saw the Toyota ‘recklessly do a donut manoeuvre’.

He said: ‘It pulled out of the car park on to the main road and then it was hit by the Nissan, which was coming at speed.’ He insisted the event was for ‘car enthusiasts, not boy racers’ but confirmed no more would be held.

Hertfordshire Police yesterday admitted no arrests had been made. Chief Inspector Alicia Shaw said an internal investigation would look at why officers failed to be aware of the meet.

Hertfordshire Police Chief Inspector Alicia Shaw, pictured, said the force was 'unaware' of last night's event despite it being advertised online and despite police previously attending similar events in the same road before. Pictured right are police officers in Stevenage today

The badly damaged blue Nissan was pictured being removed from the scene this morning by the emergency services

A priority setting meeting had been held between police and local Councillors on June 17 and it was agreed that police would 'continue to tackle vehicle related Anti-Social Behaviour which has been occurring on the dual carriageways in the South of the town, namely speeding and excessive vehicle noise'.

Films drove a surge in deadly craze Loud music and burning rubber have been attracting scores of ‘boy racers’ to meetings across the UK for decades. But there was a surge of interest in car cruise gatherings following the global success of The Fast and the Furious, a 2001 street racing film, which was followed by a string of sequels. The 2013 car crash death of Paul Walker, one the film franchise’s stars, did nothing to diminish the craze. Organised events are static, agreed by police and regulated by council officers. However, the authorities have little control over spontaneous meets which gain traction on social media, spilling out of car parks and industrial estates and on to the roads. In 2014 a judge banned car cruise events in the West Midlands after boy racers caused 31 accidents and four deaths, along the Black Country Route linking Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley and Standwell. In March, a boy of ten and his 23-month-old brother were killed when their family’s BMW was struck by a Audi S3 street racing in Wolverhampton. Advertisement

Broadhall Way and Monkswood Way were identified as a perceived specific hotspot, and officers pledged to 'endeavour to tackle this issue by prevention [and] detection of offenders with a view of reducing the problem to an acceptable state'.

It also comes despite footage being unearthed of a meeting last month showing drivers doing a 'circuit' up and down the road in front of similar crowds of people, with some vehicles mounting the central reservation deliberately while hordes of people watch on.

The footage also showed police cars and a marked van at the scene and Chief Insp Shaw said officers have previously been out to the same road and seized cars being driven dangerously - but she maintained officers had no prior knowledge of last night's meet.

Mr Dambrauskas told The Sun he and Mr Brown had come to the event from St Albans for the night.

He said: 'The Nissan must have been going at 80mph. I was so shocked, I knew what had happened, I knew we had crashed but Dom had just frozen. I jumped out of the car and saw bodies covered in blood all over the place.'

The 26-year-old added he and Mr Brown were fine and he 'did not have a scratch on him'

He added: 'I've never liked these trial meetings; this was the second time I've been. I only wanted to go to look at the cars but things just got out of hand with people driving too fast.'

Speaking earlier today, Chief Insp Shaw Said: 'We were not aware of this gathering and we were not aware of such large numbers of people coming to the Stevenage area.

'Police responded as soon as possible and were there within minutes. Gatherings have taken place there in much, much smaller numbers and we would not normally have people standing in the carriageway or such large numbers by the side of the road viewing the cars driving in such a manner.'

Pictures taken this morning showed the black car, believed to be a Toyota, had its roof completely ripped off. It was also seen being taken away from the scene this morning

Residents on social media today demanded to know where the police were last night and some said those in charge should be 'sacked' for not realising hundreds of people were in a main road

Others said police did know about the problems in the area and blamed the force for the crash because they were 'allowing drivers to break the law'

She also confirmed police would be conducting an internal review over information gathering and intelligence after being told the Mayor of Stevenage Borough Council had questioned whether they had enough resources to patrol the event.

Event organiser Rix Sidhu said it was supposed to be a 'static' meet-up for car enthusiasts that had been 'ruined by a minority' - and added he would no longer run the events

But locals vented their fury on social media and demanded to know why the police were unaware of Thursday's event given the regular car meets in the area.

One Twitter user said: 'Where were the police? Not good enough.'

Another wrote: Take note Stevenage/Hertfordshire police. U (sic) sit in ur (sic) camera vans milking the cash cow of everyday motorists wandering a few mph over the limit, yet u (sic) let morons like this carry on each week. Sadly it was only a matter of time...'

Others accused the police of 'outright lies' and said the force was well aware of the racing going on.

A Twitter user said: 'As a resident of Stevenage, close to where these meets happen, I can assure you this is an ongoing problem every Thursday, so for Herts police to say they were unaware is complete fabrication. Very disappointed. Well done on keeping Stevenage safe.'

Another user wrote: 'This is outright lying. Everyone else in Stevenage knows this happens every Thursday and the police have been there on other nights when I've driven past.'

Another added: 'So now a lot of people injured in Stevenage, due to young drivers racing down public roads at speed, hundreds of people watching at the side of the road, police say they know this goes on, failing to do they job, by allowing these drivers to break the law.'

Chief Insp Shaw added: 'We have had officers attend previously and they have issued warnings or seized cars if they were used to drive around causing alarm or harassment.

'We would arrest people if necessary but we have not had such an incident like this happen before.

DID YOU WITNESS THE STEVENAGE CRASH? If you witnessed the crash or if you have previously tried to get the car meets stopped, please contact us via henry.martin@mailonline.co.uk or call 020 3615 3224. Advertisement

'[Resources] will form part of the investigation moving forward to see what else was happening [in the area] at the time.'

Speaking to MailOnline, she also confirmed the force would review how it missed the event being advertised on social media.

She would not confirm if anyone had been arrested or if any of the injured people in hospital were driving the vehicle.

Chief Insp Shaw also denied Stevenage was blighted by 'boy racers', adding: 'There's not a problem no more than anywhere else.

'I've seen car meets in other parts of the county and that will form a part of our investigation.'

Event organiser Rix Sidhu said it was supposed to be a 'static' evening for car enthusiasts to admire each other's vehicles but had been 'ruined by a minority' they 'could not control' - and added they would never run another meet-up again.

This morning skid mark circles made by the screeching tyres of cars were clearly visible in the carpark of a retail site opposite the local football club.

Around 400 people had turned up to attend a 'take-over' event where enthusiasts show off their modified or 'pimped' cars on an industrial estate.

It was intended to gather funds for a charity called 4Louis which provides equipment and training to hospitals and medics involved in the death of a child.

A diagram showing how the collision took place on the A602 in Hertfordshire as two cars ploughed into car meet spectators. The map also shows the 'circuit' drivers regularly perform in the road, as well as tyre marks left in the retail park (inset) by vehicles performing 'donut' stunts

Police are at the scene of the event today, with the car park covered in skid marks left by cars performing 'donut stunts' last night before the crash

Marks have been left across the retail park, pictured, in huge circles indicating vehicles were performing 'donut' spins

Footage taken from the aftermath of the crash showed scores of bystanders trying to help the injured, left and right

Mr Sidhu, 29, who leads the Cruise Herts car club, told MailOnline the group are not boy racers but 'car enthusiasts' and that the event was ruined by a minority of the estimated 400 total attendees.

He told MailOnline: 'We don't condone street racing, we organise static meet-ups. We park up and walk about and admire the cars, we've even had families come in the past. We've been doing this for 10 years.

'But we can't control everyone and we don't promote this. We are not boy racers, we are car enthusiasts.'

Describing the incident, Mr Sidhu said the crash involved a Nissan 350Z and a Toyota GT86.

He added: 'I think a lot of people were in shock and realistically now it has shown people just how dangerous it can be, racing here.

'To see an individual get cut out of his car was horrible. To see people on the floor not able to move, it wasn't a nice sight.'

One witness said the black Toyota involved in the collision had 'performed a donut stunt' in the retail park moments before emerging into the road into the path of the Nissan. Pictured is a skid mark left in the retail park

A piece of debris from one of the vehicles, pictured, could be seen still at the roadside in Stevenage earlier today while the roads have been covered in police markings, right

Police are appealing for witnesses and officers are likely to be at the scene, right, in Stevenage for the rest of the day

He said: 'We saw the car (Toyota) come into the car park and recklessly do a donut manoeuvre.

'It pulled out of the car park on to the main road and then it was hit by the Nissan, which was coming at speed. I'd say at least 60 or 70mph.

'I was walking down the main road to meet up with some friends and then I saw it happen.

'The cars collided and then went into the crowd at speed. There were several younger people in the crowd, but they weren't kids. They were about 18 years old-plus.'

Mr Sidhu added: 'It was horrific, the crash. We are first-aid trained, just in case, and members of the public were really good too, helping us get to those who were injured.

'There was one woman who couldn't walk, we had to get four of us to carry her to safety.

'I'm thankful that nobody died. Nobody wanted this, we try so hard to make sure this doesn't happen, we beg people not to race on the roads - if they want to race, there are places they can go for that, tracks where they can go at speed.

'But we've decided we're not going to run these any more. After 17 years, it's over.'

Nurse Kimberly Chowdhary was one of the people in the crowd by the side of the road and spoke of the horrific scene unfolding.

She told the BBC: 'We were just sitting on the side of the verge and a car was pulling out and another car came up really fast from the other side of the road.

'I'm not really sure why people were standing [in the central reservation] because the speed these cars were coming at means it's just not safe. I think it's more the thrill of it and being able to get good video and pictures.'

She added she went into 'nurse mode' when she saw the stricken victims and did what she could to help.

Miss Chowdhary added she had been to similar events previously but last night's was the most dangerous she had ever seen.

She said: 'Usually on that specific road you get people speeding up and down it, but yesterday it was starting to get a little bit out of hand as everyone was excited.'

Mr Sidhu said the police are aware of the event and the club has a liaison officer it can hand number plates over to if there is 'trouble.

Debris left behind by the crowd of around 400 people has also been left on the side of the pavement, with the road back in use by normal traffic this morning

The blue vehicle, believed to be a Nissan 350z, is seen with its chassis and windscreen damaged after the crash

More than a dozen ambulances and police cars gathered at the scene after the collision last night

A crowd of people react in horror after watching the sickening collision at a car meet event in Stevenage last night

He added: 'We try to make it as safe as possible. Some people like drinking and that sort of thing, we just like cars. They are our pride and joy, what we are interested in.

'Unfortunately this incident means we are all going to be tarred with the same brush - people will say we are boy racers.'

He said last night's event was meant to raise money for families affected by stillbirth and miscarriage but after the horrific scenes he would 'never hold the event again'.

Mr Sidhu, who has been running the events for a decade, added: 'We are devastated. I've been running this for 10 years and we have never had one incident.

'We were raising money for charity, as we often do, and there was no speed element to it.

'We held the meet in a car park with a speed bump at the entrance. But unfortunately some people went a bit rogue.

'We try and stop that, we urge people - urge them on social media beforehand - not to go out on the roads, not to risk injury or anything.

'But unfortunately, in this age of social media and Snapchat, people want to get footage and post things to their friends, which seems to drive some people to the main road.'

'Our thoughts go out to the victims involved and thank you to those who helped,' he said.

Witness Ciaran Connor said he estimated one of the cars was going at 50mph when it hit the bystanders. 'I'm just praying no one has been killed,' he said.

Mr Connor, 33, was in his car driving past when he witnessed the carnage, seeing a group of children 'go flying' as the Nissan rammed into them.

'There was literally no time to react,' he told MailOnline. 'If we were five seconds later we would have been involved in it.

Moments from disaster: The black vehicle turns into the left-hand lane of the A602 just seconds before it is struck by the faster-moving blue vehicle, sending it into spectators

Police presence: A line of officers at the scene last night after a collision which has left at least 12 injured people in hospital

'They were all between the ages of 14 and 17. It was horrible. The car going faster on the other side of the road went into about another five people.

'Some boy got his arm stuck under the car and I saw people actually trying to lift the car up.'

In the aftermath panicked spectators screamed for help as dozens of emergency vehicles – including the air ambulance – raced to the scene on the A602.

At least 14 of those hurt were hospitalised, Hertfordshire Police said last night. The victims were taken to three local hospitals, and a 'major emergency' was declared.

Mr O'Connor, a singer from Stevenage, said one mother arrived to find her son injured and burst into tears, and that one person was lying 'motionless', he said.

The singer, from Stevenage, said: 'I've never seen anything like it in all my life. It was carnage. Kids were crying, I felt helpless. I got out of my car but what could I do.'

Locals have told of how they have regularly complained about the noise and danger posed by the events.

One resident said: 'I'm out walking my dog and you hear the cars arriving in the area for these gatherings.

'Some of the driving that takes place is absolutely crazy with undertaking at speed and to be honest what happened last night was an an accident waiting to happen.'

He said from about 7.30 pm car enthusiasts gather in the car parks of nearby retail parks.

As the car parks empty of shoppers young drivers perform 'donuts' with their vehicles filling the air with the sound of engines revving and burning rubber.

Police investigators worked late into the night in the aftermath of the crash, which put at least 17 people in hospitals

The badly damaged Nissan remained at the scene through the night with forensics officers analysing the crash

The black car, believed to be a Toyota, came to a rest on a grassy bank that had been crowded with spectators. It appeared to have had its roof removed by firefighters.

Lit up: The blue lights of ambulances and police cars dominate the scene in Stevenage in the wake of the horrific crash

Emergency: Police vehicles respond to the crash in an emergency response which also saw an air ambulance arrive

One man working at a car wash in retail park car park close to where the crash occurred said 'You never see the police as the youngsters gather. Obviously you do get some who are there to show their cars off, but you get others who are there to show off by performing donuts.

'You get beer bottles left behind the next morning and where these gathering are taking place you can smell weed.'

He said during one gathering fireworks were put in a rubbish bin next to the car wash.

'That's could be down to those who go along to watch and look at the cars and not the drivers,' he said.

Another retail worker said the gatherings begin around 6.30 and the carpark can fill up quite quickly.

'To be fair a lot of them are there to show off the cars and admire the other vehicles. The entrances and exit's to the store can get blocked by the cars

'Bur you will get idiots driving round the car park doing donuts and I saw one recently with his bumper hanging off.'

Resident Hayley Coleman said on Facebook today: 'My son was there and watched the whole thing happen last night within a few feet of where he and his friend were standing...it was awful...thoughts are with the families.'

Gary Knowles: added 'This is not an organised event it's lunacy. And those that were injured standing spectating on a central reservation beggars belief.'

Witnesses last night described on Twitter the horrors they had seen.

'I've just witnessed that horrendous crash in Stevenage, no more than 50ft away from me. I'm still trying to process it all,' one said.

Another added: 'My thoughts and prayers are with all those poor kids who were struck by a car tonight in Stevenage at the car meet.

'Literally never seen a scene like it. Kids lying in the road everywhere missed it by about 10 seconds as was just turning round the roundabout.'

And a third told how they narrowly avoided being among the casualties. 'I was also there and spent over an hour holding one of the girls while the paramedics turned up,' they said.

'I was sat on the grass bank and then moved across the road and sat on the other side approximately five minutes before it happened.

'It may have been a decision that save me and my son. I hope the two injured girls I was with recover along with all the other injured parties.'

Photos from the scene tonight showed the Toyota on the grassy bank that had earlier been crowded with spectators. It appeared to have had its roof removed by firefighters, however it was unclear whether its driver was among the 14 people in hospital.

A police vehicle on the scene after the Thursday night collision in which at least 17 people have been injured

This footage of the car meet in Stevenage, which was described as a charity event, shows spectators on either side of the road before the collision

One report on social media said that at least 10 people had been hit with a large number of emergency services on the scene

Videos posted online, many too harrowing to publish in full, showed dozens of spectators lining both sides of the two-lane road, which runs behind League Two side Stevenage FC's Broadhall Way ground and has a 40mph speed limit. They also crowded onto the low central reservation and grassy banks on either side to watch the cars drive past.

One film showed cars building up terrifying speeds in the moments before the crash.

Afterwards, the Nissan was pictured with a smashed windscreen and screams could be heard in the background as shocked spectators milled around at the scene.

The 'meet' – part of a series organised by the Cruise Herts group that occur on Thursday evenings in Stevenage - was described on Facebook as an 'extra special' one to raise money for families affected by stillbirth and miscarriage.

Locals said they had often complained about the gatherings, but police had failed to shut them down.

'It was an accident waiting to happen,' one resident said.

Three ambulances and two police cars at the scene in Hertfordshire on Thursday night following the horrific crash

The car meet was described on Facebook as an 'extra special meet' to raise money for families affected by stillbirth and miscarriage

The injured bystanders were taken to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, Watford General Hospital and to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex.

A Hertfordshire Police spokesman said last night: 'Police and other emergency service colleagues are currently at the scene of a serious road traffic collision on Monkswood Way, Stevenage.

'Two cars were involved in the collision which occurred at around 9.45pm. There were a number of people in the area at the time and 14 people are being are presently being treated for injuries, some of which are serious.

'Officers from the Beds, Cambs and Herts road policing unit are investigating and emergency services are expected to remain at the scene for some time.'

Did you see what happened? Get in touch - joseph.curtis@mailonline.co.uk or call 020 3615 1697.

Britain's boy racer culture: How young drivers spend thousands souping up their beloved 'Fast and Furious' motors as police and councils desperately try to crack down on meets and illegal drag races

By Lara Keay for MailOnline

They pour into back streets and supermarket car parks after dark, wowing the assembled crowds of enthusiasts by performing 'donut' stunts and drag races in a bid to out-do their peers in their souped-up cars.

Arranged on social media after dark so nearby residents or passing motorists are less likely to report them, the young drivers flock to these furtive meet-ups across Britain every week, attracting crowds of hundreds as they show off the cheap cars they have done up, racing each other at break-neck speed or using empty car parks or fields to parade them in front of their rivals.

Welcome to the world of Britain's 'boy racers' where young men, mostly in their early 20s, spend thousands on their beloved motors, kitting out even the most humble second-hand run-around with expensive new body kits, exhausts and ear-splitting sound systems to make them look like super cars.

But while many of the 'meets' are good natured, with organisers at pains to keep them 'static' and stop the cars from racing, a handful of drivers use the events to hold illegal drag contests, zooming around residential areas at lightning speed, and blighting communities up and down the UK.

The hit Fast And The Furious franchise shone a light on the boy racer lifestyle in the early 2000s, as youngsters in the UK aspired to be like the US street racers in the films portrayed by Hollywood hard-men Vin Diesel and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

A street race in Basildon, Essex, is pictured in the early 2000s after the release of the first Fast and the Furious film. File image

A picture of a souped up purple car is pictured outside a modification garage in Essex

But the illegal driving contests have existed for decades before that, with meets once a secretive gathering, that were only discussed in certain circles and heard of by word of mouth.

However, with social media groups can now advertise their events online to a much wider audience of drivers and enthusiasts, and even recruit private sponsors to make them profitable.

In years gone by they were much more secretive, only discussed in certain circles and heard of by word of mouth.

Now with social media, groups can advertise their events online and even recruit private sponsors to make them profitable.

Racers usually opt for low-cost models that they can improve with parts ordered on the internet, with favourites including Ford Fiestas, Vauxhall Corsas, Peugeot 106s, Citroen Saxos and Renault Clios.

Those with more money move on to flashier car makes such as Subaru, Audi and BMW.

Street races can trigger furious resident rows and often result in crashes, which leave drivers dead or seriously injured.

Councils across Birmingham, the West Midlands, Bradford and Somerset have hauled in police and the courts to impose instant fines and criminal charges on persistent offenders.

In 2004 judges were given the power to ban drivers for life if they consistently used their cars to commit crimes or promote anti-social behaviour.

While lifetime bans are relatively rare, boy racers are often prosecuted for dangerous driving and told to stay off the road for a number of years.

Self-confessed boy racer Kash Ahmad, 37, set up his own car modification workshop near his Essex home

Last year Mr Ahmad and his brother Shabs brought almost 100 supercars, some worth £1.6million, to show off to potential customers in central London

Last night as many as 17 people were injured after a black Toyota GT86 pulled into the path of a speeding blue Nissan 350z, sending both cars flying towards spectators in Stevenage.

Earlier this week police were forced to break up an illegal street race on the A38 in Sutton Coldfield after participants flouted a High Court ban.

The ban prevents people from taking part in car cruising, speeding, racing and driving in convoy, performing stunts or causing an obstruction to a public highway anywhere in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country. Crowds are not allowed to gather and watch the events either.

Bradford Council has also introduced a Public Space Protection Order which gives its officers powers to penalise motorists who use their cars in an anti-social manner.

The measure comes after two-thirds of Bradford residents in a survey of more than 1,200 said nuisance drivers were a problem, with many admitting they felt 'unsafe' on the streets.

In recent years residents near Cheddar Gorge in Somerset have had speed limits reduced from 60mph to 30mph on some roads to stop 'cruising' events taking place an distressing neighbours.

Police were forced to break up an illegal street race on the A38 in Sutton Coldfield (pictured from above) after participants flouted a High Court ban

People who live near the scene of the two-car crash in Stevenage have repeatedly called on police to shut the monthly meet-ups down for fear they would end in disaster.

One resident described the smash as an 'accident waiting to happen', as families wait to hear news on the conditions of their injured loved ones.

But there are others who are keen to promote what they see as a the 'positive' side of boy racing.

Self-confessed boy racer Kash Ahmad, 37, set up his own car modification workshop near his Essex home after secretly doing up friends' vehicles as a teenager with his brother.

Mr Ahmad and his brother Shabs, 35, ran the Piccadilly Boy Racers group as teens and have seen it transform into a fully-fledged business.

The boy racer lifestyle rose to prominence after the release of the Fast and the Furious films, which follow the lives of street racers in the US in the early 2000s

Two characters in The Fast and Furious (Tokyo Drift) are pictured crashing into one another in the 2006 film

Last year they brought almost 100 supercars, some worth £1.6million, to show off to potential customers in central London.

The brothers have always insisted they are responsible, refusing to take part in any street races and banning any 'riff raff' from their events.

Previous probes into why young men get involved in street racing have revealed many turn to it out of boredom.

Drag races tend to be prevalent in underprivileged communities where youngsters struggle to find jobs and there is little else to do apart from 'pimp' their cars.

Some become so obsessed with the illegal sport they travel the length and breadth of the country to take part in different events, spending thousands on pricey modifications.

Police nationwide are desperate to crack down on street races, fearing tragic consequences for both motorists and pedestrians.

In one documentary a policeman said: 'You see the consequences and you see how much it rips apart families for what we'll call a moment of madness,' one says.