'Boy racers' problem must be dealt with, say Cwmbran residents

Frustrated residents said sounds of loud exhausts and revving and backfiring engines have become more frequent as lockdown continued.

They said large groups of young drivers meet up in the Oasis car park, outside The Olive Tree, both just off Edlogan Way, and in the Cwmbran Morrisons car park.

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Adrian Wilding, 59, said last week was especially bad for residents, as the extreme hot weather meant many had to leave their windows open overnight.

“The last few weeks have been worse than ever,” he said. “I went to bed at 10.30pm and for the next hour and a half that’s all I could hear.

“You can hear an exhaust noise and then the car popping off. It sounds like fireworks or a gunshot.

“I have a Labrador that is afraid of loud noises. It frightened the life out of her.”

Adrian Wilding said the issue has got worse throughout lockdown. Picture: Adrian Wilding.

Another resident, Kyle Rodgers, said although it had been reported to the police, residents had not seen a crackdown on this.

“It’s every single night of the week,” he said. “Sometimes it’s until three or four in the morning.

“We’ve reported it, but no-one seems to want to know.”

Sarah Allard, 46, of Llanyravon, said unless there was a crackdown, someone could get seriously injured.

“I’ve got no problem with gathering and looking at cars, it’s the racing I have a problem with,” she said.

“Since lockdown, the roads have been like a racetrack.

Sarah Allard said she had been undertaken on the dual carriageway by boy racers. Picture: Sarah Allard.

“They have no respect for built-up areas; they go through there at ridiculous speeds.

“Unless [the police] do something soon, it will only be a matter of time before someone is injured or killed.”

A Gwent Police spokesman confirmed they had received "a number of reports" from residents about the issue.

“Gwent Police will not tolerate this type of behaviour on our roads and any motorist caught driving their vehicle in an anti-social, dangerous or erratic manner will be prosecuted,” he said.

“This issue is a priority for Torfaen officers operating in Cwmbran and we are liaising with partners, including the council, to find ways to tackle and solve this problem and, if required, use enforcement action.

“We would like to thank the members of the public who reported this type of anti-social behaviour to us. Your assistance is always welcome in tackling this issue and we would encourage people to report similar incidents to us.

“We are appealing for any witnesses or any individuals who may have CCTV footage, dashcam footage from a vehicle or information about this incident to contact Gwent Police on 101, quoting log references: 663 25/06/20; 695 25/06/20; 560 27/06/20 and 306 28/06/20.

“You can also contact the force via social media on Facebook and Twitter and you can report any information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”