Dangerous boy racers driving across the The Downs in Bristol pose a threat of causing serious injury. That's the view of one nearby resident, who says the problem is getting worse.
The resident, who did not wish to be named, said racing around the park takes place mostly at night, but has happened during the day. He said: “The past few months on the Downs have been hell.
“It can be from 8pm onwards and it’s groups of people up there, you can hear the cars zooming back and forth. The other day there were lads doing wheelies across the grass on their motorbikes during the day.
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“It won’t be long before someone is killed or injured,” he said. He added that the bike racers often have no number plates and are in and out of the area within 10 minutes to avoid police.
The Downs has often been the target of drivers tearing up the grass. Friends of the Downs and Avon Gorge chair Robert Westlake said the organisation 'regularly reports incidents of this nature to the Downs Committee', adding that it actively encourage reporting of all incidents to police.
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He said: “The police are aware of the situation and have attended on a few occasions. I believe some penalties have been issued.”
Mr Westlake highlighted that much of the racing activity appeared to be 'well-organised' and was posted on social media platforms. He said the issue would be raised at the June meeting of The Downs Committee.
FODAG’s spring edition newsletter also highlighted the 'unacceptable levels of motorised vandalism' which has damaged grassed areas and trashed soccer pitches. It read: “These are not isolated incidents, but regular occurrences.”
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Chair of the Downs Committee councillor Paula O’Rourke said there have also been complaints of cars 'drifting' at night. She said while anti-social behaviour was a police matter, the committee is looking to recruit a Downs manager.
She said: “Anti-social behaviour is a police matter, the Downs is a huge acreage and it’s very dark up there at night. We want to employ a manager to help with strategic planning which will be a step in the right direction. The Downs is a resource for the whole city of Bristol and this behaviour is unacceptable. These activities are selfish, think of other people,” she said.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said specific incidents of anti-social behaviour need to be reported to police.
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