A recent car meet in Southend-on-Sea attracted a flurry of penalty and legal action from Essex Police and Southend-on-Sea City Council.
Dangerous driving, risky stunts such as burnouts and unlawful parking led the council and police to take decisive action.
The Council’s Community Safety Unit (CSU) issued 37 Fixed Penalty Notices to drivers at the event. The police seized three cars, including a Sierra Cosworth that was found to have an engine from a stolen vehicle. One driver was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs.
If convicted, drivers at the event could face a range of sentences reflecting the seriousness of the offences committed. Totting up occurs when a licence has 12 or more penalty points, usually resulting in a 6-month driving ban. If a driver faces a ban due to totting up, solicitors can advise on how to reduce the penalty, for example, by using the ‘special hardship’ argument. For the more serious offences, custodial sentences may be imposed.
Taking into account the level of reckless activity occurring in a crowded area, and the danger posed to the public, the police took the unusual decision to enforce an 8-hour dispersal order.
In April 2023, the city council introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to address the disruption, noise and dangers posed by some of the car meets. Councillor Martin Terry emphasized that the council does not wish to ban car meets altogether, and that the vast majority are trouble-free events.