Car club banned from retail park

Hundreds of cars have been turning up to the unofficial meetings

A car club says it has been left with nowhere to meet after a dispersal order was imposed by police.

Reading Automotive Cruise has been told it can no longer meet in a car park at Forbury Retail Park, Reading, because it disturbs people living nearby.

Police say hundreds of cars congregate at the site, revving their engines, playing loud music and racing around.

But the club says problems are being caused by an uninvited minority and it wants to co-operate with police.

Club member Rob Strike said: "There are unfortunately some people who decide to come to the car park and act like idiots.

"The advantage is, because our group is a close knit club, we try and stamp on that straight away.

'Seriously injured'

The cruise, which started as a small group of friends, has grown to 1,300 members and had been meeting in the car park near Toys R Us.

Ch Insp Jim Weems, of Thames Valley Police, said: "Over the summer we have had numerous calls, mainly on an evening, telling us that there are several hundred vehicles in Forbury car park.

"The kind of behaviour that is being carried out by this group is playing loud music on their stereos, revving their engines, reports of vehicles racing around.

"It got to its worst point in September when there was a large fight in the car park where someone got seriously injured.

"Customising cars has been going on for years and we always support well organised and well run events but these tend not to be those sort of events.

"They do have the ability to attract other groups that are outside the control of this group."