THE number of street racing offences across the Black Country and Birmingham have dropped by more than a quarter in the past 12 months.

Figures announced at yesterday’s Strategic Policing and Crime Board meeting in Birmingham, revealed that the number of incidents recorded by West Midlands Police over the past year was 3,122 – 26 per cent less than the previous 12 months.

The force also revealed that 23 offenders had been convicted in the Black Country since a car cruising injunction was introduced in 2015, with a further six awaiting trial.

The injunction bans speeding, racing and driving in convoy, performing stunts and causing an obstruction on a public highway.

It also bans associated behaviour, such as excessive noise, causing a public nuisance and risking injury to others and damage to property.

Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “Following tough action by the police and local councils we have reduced the number of street-racing incidents by a quarter.”