Blow for boy racers as Black Country cruising ban set to continue
An injunction which has banned car cruising in the Black Country will be allowed to continue after a hearing in the High Court.
The introduction of the injunction in February 2015 had significantly reduced the problem across much of the region – and eradicated it altogether in many areas, The High Court, sitting in Birmingham, heard.
The Black Country-wide injunction bans people from taking part in a car cruise anywhere within Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall – or from promoting, organising or publicising any such event in those areas.
When the injunction was granted by the High Court in December 2014, His Honour Judge Owen directed there should be a review hearing 12 months after its implementation, at which the court would consider the effect of the injunction and decide whether it should be continued to its original expiry date of 1 February 2018.
And on Monday, the court permitted the continuation of the injunction.
Before the injunction came into force there were a number of hotspots around the region including the Black Country Route near Bilston and Birmingham New Road on the border of Wolverhampton and Dudley, with drivers and spectators turning local roads into a race track.
In evidence presented to the High Court, Joanne Mason of Wolverhampton's anti social behaviour team said: "It is vital the injunction remains in force to enable police and the four Black Country councils to continue to tackle the dangerous, anti-social and nuisance behaviour of car cruising."
Before the injunction came into force there were a number of hotspots around the region including the Black Country Route near Bilston and Birmingham New Road on the border of Wolverhampton and Dudley, with drivers and spectators turning local roads into a race track.
Ch Insp Jed White from West Midlands Police's motorway policing unit said: "The injunction enables us, together with our partners, to continue to tackle those individuals who flout the laws of the road and pose a danger for innocent members of the public."
As well as deterring would-be car cruisers from gathering in the first place, four people who took part in car cruises have been convicted for contempt of court for breaching the injunction, with a further eight prosecutions pending.
A 25-year-old from Wordsley and a 35-year-old from Tipton admitted contempt of court after participating in a car cruise in Wolverhampton last October when they appeared before the High Court in January. Both were given suspended jail sentences and each ordered to pay £443.63 costs.
And last July, an 18-year-old from Walsall admitted breaching the injunction in a case brought by Sandwell Council by racing another car at speed in a 40mph zone in West Bromwich.
In February this year, the driver he was racing, a 24-year-old from Birmingham, admitted the same offence. Both were found guilty of contempt of court and handed three-month jail sentences, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £500 costs.
