Morrisons is working with Wiltshire Police to tackle reports of “anti-social car meets” in a supermarket car park.
In a report to Chippenham Town Council in September, Wiltshire Police revealed that it had been tackling gatherings of vehicle owners at supermarket car parks in the town.
The update revealed that these gatherings had stopped taking place at the Sainsbury’s site on Bath Road after automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras were installed.
Police say £7,000 in fines were handed out to drivers breaking parking rules at Sainsbury’s during the first five weeks these cameras were operational.
But in its report, the force added that some of these gatherings have since moved to the Morrisons car park off West Cepen Way, where similar measures are not currently in place.
Morrisons has now confirmed it is working with officers to clampdown on the issue and that it does not tolerate “anti-social behaviour” on its premises.
READ MORE: Sainsbury's 'fines drivers £7,000' over car park rules
The retailer did not confirm or deny if it would introduce ANPR cameras like those at Sainsbury’s when asked, and did not elaborate on what measures it may introduce.
A spokesperson said: “We do not tolerate any form of anti-social behaviour in our stores or car parks and are working with our local police force to tackle this issue.”
In September, PC Paul Croft was seeking a meeting with a representative from the retailer’s head office to discuss how the store’s management could help curb the gatherings.
Inspector Pete Foster says that neighbourhood teams have seen a “noticeable improvement” in the issue since Sainsbury’s introduced ANPR cameras earlier this year.
But he has emphasised that officers will continue to patrol the area to prevent further meetings.
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He said: "Following a number of complaints from residents living near Sainsbury’s on Bath Road, in relation to noise and anti-social driving in the evenings, our neighbourhood officers have worked closely with the store management to find a solution.
“We are pleased to report that the store has begun using ANPR cameras preventing drivers from staying longer than two hours (when the store is open) and 10 minutes after 10pm.
“We have seen a noticeable improvement since these cameras were enforced and hope residents will welcome this development.
“Our officers will continue to patrol the areas regularly as a preventative measure and we would continue to urge residents to report any further concerns.”
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