Police disrupt unauthorised car cruise in Milton Keynes

A second joint operation between Thames Valley Police and Milton Keynes Council took place on Saturday (September 15) to disrupt a large-scale unauthorised car meet in Milton Keynes.
It was the second such incident in a matter of weeksIt was the second such incident in a matter of weeks
It was the second such incident in a matter of weeks

Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire police forces also took part in the operation.

Building on the tactics used in the August Bank Holiday operation, officers and council staff attended various sites in Milton Keynes before the event and worked with private car park owners to take preventative action where necessary.

This event was unregulated, did not have permission from the relevant land owners and had not been notified to the council’s Safety Advisory Group, who assess and advise on the risks, safety procedures and licensing of large events held in Milton Keynes.

The proactive response on Saturday evening resulted in the event changing location to outside the Milton Keynes area.

Sergeant Daniel Collett said: “Historically, we have taken a number of different approaches to work with local car enthusiasts at these events and target those who choose to drive dangerously. However, with the increase in popularity of these events it has become unmanageable for the event organisers who cannot guarantee the motive of the attendee.”

“Performing burnouts, stunts and drifting on the roads or in public car parks is dangerous driving and if prosecuted those actions can lead to a disqualification from driving and even imprisonment.

“I would particularly urge younger drivers to think hard about the impact that could have on their day to day lives.”

“Whilst the number of dangerous drivers at car cruise events is small, the percentage of those that are willing to take that risk is rising. The large amount of spectators and moving vehicles produces a serious risk of harm from uncontrolled stunts by untrained drivers in an unsafe environment. We have to take action to respond to this risk and work with our partners to identify opportunities to reduce the number of locations that can be used for this purpose.”

Chief inspector John Batty said: “Car cruise events are a real concern for the local community and often lead to a spike in anti-social behaviour. We have shown throughout this summer that we are working closely with our partners to tackle any negative behaviour at these events and this weekend’s action further demonstrates this.

We are all willing to work together to ensure that events like these are safe for everyone, but there must be engagement from the organisers with local landowners, the police and partner agencies to make sure the correct permissions and safety measures are in place.”