Officers have issued a warning to members of the public following an illegal car meet at the weekend.
Shortly after 10pm on Saturday 27 April, police were made aware of reports of a large number of vehicles gathering near the A34 between Wilmslow and Alderley Edge.
The illegal car meet began in the Manchester area before participants travelled into Cheshire.
Cheshire Police officers attended the scene, along with a police helicopter.
A 37-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of drug driving, while Traffic Offence Reports (TORS) were issued to two vehicles, one for its illegal number plate, and one for its tinted windows and insurance.
A further four Section 59 warning notices were issued to motorists for inconsiderate or careless driving.
Police are reviewing footage and will look to identify and prosecute further drivers due to their manner of driving.
Inspector Nick Rogers said "Illegal car meets not only cause upset and frustration to communities and residents, but put those participating in such events, other road users, and members of the public in danger.
"This is not a question of officers 'spoiling the fun', but rather the police taking robust action to prevent harm, and even serious injury or worse.
"The incident in Wilmslow at the weekend resulted in an arrest, TORS being issued, and Section 59 warnings, but we are reviewing footage to identify any further drivers and hold them accountable.
"These events will not be tolerated – we cannot allow vehicles to be driven at excessive speeds or in an anti-social manner.
"Be warned, when we are made aware of such unauthorised events happening, we will use every resource available to us to disrupt these illegal gatherings.
"We have a job to do in making the roads in Cheshire safe for everyone, and anyone who puts that at risk will be dealt with accordingly."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Why do you assume EXCESSIVE SPEEDS were 'involved' as you describe?
There was no mention of any speeding violations - just drug driving, illegal number plates, tinted windows and insurance - all relatively minor offences. Inconsiderate and careless driving also don’t constitute 'excessive speed'.
I welcome the police response to this situation which, now the warmer weather and lighter summer evenings are soon to be with us, can only see a continuation of previous gatherings in Alderley Edge of car enthusiasts and the young lads with cameras out to capture the spirit of these informal parades of minor exotic vehicles.
Why round here where we live? Well, I guess it's because our towns are associated with very wealthy people who own the sort of cars that everyone else can only wonder at driving. The sort of cars on display in the various dealerships dotted around our locality. It doesn't help that the image of the place where we live - send our kids safely to school, do our shopping and generally go about our daily chores - that much of the everyday level of car ownership seen around town is made up of lesser expensive 4x4's, Porsches, BMW's, Mercs et al. This air of affluence I think is a major attraction to those we see coming in large numbers to ‘parade’ their vehicles. A sort of ‘look at me’ attitude which says - “I might not have the same riches as you guys who live in expensive houses and drive vehicles that cost multiples of my annual salary but I can come into YOUR backyard with MY motor and display MY identity up your noses against your wishes and have you look at me. The roads are for everyone and yours are no exception and as long as I tax my vehicle, have motor insurance with an MoT, maintain it in a roadworthy condition you cannot stop me despite having a large police presence on the ground and in the air.”
I have posted much about the other problem we have round here and which has become a national issue - that of car exhaust noise. Again, it has been assumed, and probably still is in many minds, that a noisy exhaust means it is either coming from a motorbike [Mark Goldsmith!] or the vehicle is going too fast. Both these conditions are hardly ever true. The noise that is annoying so many residents, not just living near to the A34 bypass but also any road anywhere, is caused by modified car exhausts so as to deliberately MAKE more noise and driven in such a manner as to greatly exceed the permitted legal noise limit. Why? Well, I ask you to come up with a few reasons. It perhaps is also something along the lines of a ‘look at me’ macho, personality disorder from mature males with a distorted view of what it is to be masculine.
Our Police Commissioner arranged a meeting with locals in the Wilmslow Parish Hall on the 23 September 2021 following concerns about car exhaust noise. Unfortunately the discussion was steered towards speeding for part of the meeting instead of concentrating on exhaust noise.
It was apparent to me that there was still a lack of appreciation and understanding of HOW this social nuisance is actually being produced so I subsequently met with our MP to explain in some detail what is at the root of this problem - exhaust modification. I can only hope there might be some opportunity for her to take such new-found knowledge and use it when possible to enable changes in the law to come about and stop this public nuisance on the roads.
If YOU the reader still do not understand the reason - go to either of the Wilmslow or Alderley Edge. co.uk websites and search for ‘exhaust’ or ‘vehicle noise’ and you too can become educated on this subject after catching up on all the postings with comments around this topic.
Maybe David Carey is assuming that excessive speed is a factor because, in the report that we’re discussing, the Police spokesperson said….”These events will not be tolerated – we cannot allow vehicles to be driven at excessive speeds or in an anti-social manner.”
Alternatively, it could be that David Carey moves around with his eyes and ears open and sees the nonsense speeding on our roads or hears the illegally-tuned motors roaring or pop-popping around the area and wishes that other road users had to adhere to the same rules and regulations that the rest of us sign up to.
I wouldn’t have thought that driving while under the influence of drugs or without insurance were “relatively minor offences”.
Alan, you are perfectly correct I was referring to the police inspectors comments on excessive speed. I posted a comment on the 26th April under the headline 'Local Police Officers speed up incident response times', indicating my worries about cars speeding on the A34 and the excessive noise from certain cars day an night to local residents.
The first post was a my response to a dangerous incident later afternoon on Saturday 20th April when my wife and I were returning from Handforth Dean. Two high powered sports cars came past us at horrendous speed racing each other and they weaved in and out of traffic causing a few cars either to break hard or slow down quickly to avoid their antics.
When we reached the roundabout at Pendleton Way they were practically stopped in the outside line posing for the army of people taking photos and videos.
On the subject of illegal car meets I personally find it extremely difficult to see the fascination with seeing what they achieve apart from causing anti-social behaviour.
Lastly, as Pete Taylor already pointed out above the majority of the general public and Cheshire Police I dont think see drug driving as a 'relatively minor offence'.
a 30mph zone.