Boy racers and dangerous drivers have been targeted in a crackdown by Chippenham police.

Operation Overdrive took to the streets recently with eight officers in marked and unmarked cars.

During the nine-hour operation, officers paid regular visits to car parks where drivers are known to meet, and patrolled roads where residents have raised concerns over anti-social behaviour.

Two prohibitions were handed out, which meant the vehicles were banned from the road, including one car that was towing a trailer without a licence.

Another driver was dealt with for dangerous driving and failure to stop.

defects on four vehicles had not been put right despite the drivers receiving police warnings. one driver was caught speeding and another had no insurance.

one drugs search was conducted and three people were given tickets for failing to wear seatbelts.

A Ford Escort was seized in Corsham after it was found that the driver, a man in his 40s, had no insurance, no licence and the car had several faults.

Sergeant Steve Mcgrath said: “We have received a few calls about, predominantly young people, racing about the town, so we have reacted to public concerns.

“Bath Road car park is the hub of where everybody hangs out, but drivers congregate all over Chippenham – complaints come from all over the town.

“We get a lot of drivers racing around the town and it doesn’t paint a good picture of Chippenham. People feel there’s a lot of anti-social behaviour but there isn’t – it’s a nice Wiltshire market town.”

PC Arwen Lucena said she was pleased with the results from the operation and re-assured the public that all concerns will be dealt with promptly.

“We have listened to the concerns that the public have raised,” she said. “We take these concerns seriously and will take positive action whenever possible to deal with them.”

Chippenham police are seeking the co-operation of car park owners to install and enforce the use of barriers.

A meeting is planned with residents and the town council to discuss access Bath Road car park.

Carol Buckle, whose home in Foghamshire backs on to it, said there had been problems for over six years.

She said: “It can be really frightening – they drive in at such a great speed and spin around and when its wet its even worse. My letterbox sometimes rattles with all the noise and it can go on until four o’clock in the morning.

“We are just worried that somebody will get killed out there. It’s not that we don’t want them to have fun, but I don’t see how it can be fun really.”

Anyone with any issues concerning car parks in the town should contact Chippenham police on 0845 4087000.