Public at risk from 'hundreds of racing cars'

Hundreds of cars "racing up and down" a major road in a seaside resort are putting the public at risk, police have said.

The incidents are catalogued in evidence from Blackpool Police which is set to go before a Blackpool Council licensing hearing on 31 March.

The report refers to a number of car meet-ups on council owned car parks near the Esso service station on Yeadon Way.

A submission to the hearing from PC Emma Pritchard, of Blackpool Police licensing department, added that in September last year a member of the public reported "70 cars with 20 to 30 young lads stood around".

The evidence is part of an objection by Blackpool Police to an application to the council's licensing department.

Submitted on behalf of Rontec Watford Ltd it asks for a variation of the premises licence for South Shore Service Station, Yeadon Way, which is an Esso petrol station.

Currently the petrol station shop must be closed to the public between midnight and 06:00 with all sales being made through the night serving hatch.

The applicant is seeking council permission to change the condition so the shop would only have to be closed if there is only one member of staff on duty.

But in their objection, police say there is already a lot of late night crime in the area and they fear staff would not be safe even if there were two people working on the premises.

The police evidence says incidents reported recently in the area include claims of someone having a knife and reports of glass bottles being thrown from the bridge on Yeadon Way onto cars below.

PC Pritchard adds in her written evidence: "This is also an area with a lot of car meet ups, causing anti-social behaviour."

On 13 October, "a member of the public reports hundreds of cars on the car park nearby racing up and down Yeadon Way", while  on 14 September "a member of the public reports 70 cars with 20 to 30 young lads stood around near the Esso Garage".

On 10 January this year, the police received "a report of a car meet up next to Esso, cars doing donuts when children are walking nearby as just finished school".

A panel made up of councillors will hear all the evidence before making their decision on the application.

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