Put the brakes on cruisers (From Stroud News and Journal)

Put the brakes on cruisers

FED-UP Stonehouse residents are calling for ASBOs to be slapped on noisy boy racers.

Retired couple Michael and Jean Womersley have lived in the town for under a year but have become increasingly infuriated by the deafening din of suped-up motors reverberating through their home.

"We can hear them in the house through the double-glazed windows," said Mr Womersley, 70, who contacted the SNJ last week after our report about boy racers in Bisley Old Road, Stroud.

"If you are half awake and one goes past it really makes you grind your teeth."

Mr Womersley, a grandfather, who moved to Stonehouse in August, wants ASBOs issued to ban offenders from the area.

"If we can pinpoint the registration numbers of certain cars maybe an ASBO can be issued that would deter others," he said.

Mr Womersley added that the racket has been a nuisance on both Gloucester Road and Oldends Lane but believes the problem also affects much more of Stonehouse.

"It's usually small modified cars, often with two exhausts and a boom box," he said.

Mrs Womersley, also 70, added: "There must be lots of elderly people who are bothered by this too."

Stonehouse neighbourhood warden Ashley Nicholson said residents have spoken to him about the problem.

"We've had a few complaints about boy racers which is a general problem" he said.

"Although most aren't doing any harm some are playing their speakers too loud and doing wheelspins."

Town mayor Mattie Ross said as yet no complaints had been made to the town council.

She said: "If somebody spoke to me about it we would definitely look into it."

A spokesman for Stonehouse police repeated this message.

He said: "If something was reported to police it would be dealt with accordingly and we would act if we could."