Police crackdown on Wigan joyrider menaces

Westwood Way, in Poolstock, has become plagued with speeding cars and motorcycles that are racing and causing a general nuisance, often into the early hours of the morning.

Furious residents have recently stepped out of the shadows to reveal how the issue was affecting their lives, with many saying they are being kept awake at night. One local even said it feels like he was “living in the middle of a racetrack.”

They also said the authorities were doing little to stop the street racing, despite the issue being reported time after time.

This week, Wigan police officers took to social media to highlight how they were tackling the problem by stepping up patrols in the area.

GMP Wigan West’s social media team said: “After receiving a number of complaints regarding issues with vehicles congregating in the area of Westwood Park, Wigan, uniformed neighbourhood officers attended (at 9pm) and issued warnings to the drivers of the vehicles.

"They were advised accordingly and moved on from the area.”

A father-of-two, who lives in the area but asked not to be named, said: “This has been going on for at least a couple of years.”

He said: “It’s a regular thing. It’s most nights of the week. It’s not just weekends or just every now and again, it’s happening more often that not, usually between 10.30pm to 1.30am.Sometimes it is quieter than others, but we can still hear it, so it’s possible it’s happening elsewhere as well.It’s like living in the middle of a race track.”

A concerned motorist who used Westwood Way to get to work, also said: “When I come out of my office, pretty much every day there can be 20 to 30 cars, racing and drifting around the roundabout, and street racing.

“When I leave around 7pm, they’re speeding up and down Westwood Way, skidding and spinning around on the grass in the middle of the roundabout, tearing it up completely.

"I’ve often had to wait for the cars to stop drifting around the roundabout because I’m trying not to get hit by them.You have lorries parking up around there, yet you’ve got these lunatics flying around the place at god-knows-what speeds.”

Incidents can be reported at gmp.police.uk or by calling 101. Dial 999 in an emergency.