CAR cruising will be banned across the Black Country after local authorities secured a ground-breaking injunction.

Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall councils, working with West Midlands Police, secured the injunction from the High Court in Birmingham.

The injunction, issued at the start of December, forbids people from participating in a “car cruise" anywhere in the Black Country - within Dudley, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Walsall boroughs - or from promoting, organising or publicising any car cruising event within the area.

The councils and police moved to act to try to stop drivers turning roads into racetracks following hundreds of complaints from members of the public over the last few years about motorists meeting to show off or race their fast cars.

Regular gatherings have been taking place at hotspots around the Black Country - including Birmingham New Road, on the border of Dudley and Wolverhampton, and in Flood Street, Dudley, and on public or supermarket car parks across the region.

Organised or impromptu meets have primarily been taking place on Sunday evenings - with gatherings attracting up to 250 cars and hundreds of onlookers.

The injunction, granted by His Honour Judge Robert Owen QC - has been issued against “persons unknown" - meaning anyone breaching the injunction will be at risk of being in contempt of court, which for an adult can result in up to two years in prison and a fine.

The ruling prohibits a number of activities associated with car cruising, including speeding, racing and driving in convoy, performing stunts, sounding horns or playing music that would cause a public nuisance, using foul or abusive language and threatening, intimidating behaviour and causing an obstruction on a public highway. 

It also aims to stamp out excessive noise, danger or risk of injury to road users and pedestrians, damage or risk of damage to property and significant risk of harm, public nuisance and annoyance to the public. 

Chief Inspector Kerry Blakeman, head of West Midlands Police traffic unit, said: “This Black Country-wide injunction will form the backbone of our on-going measures to target people using the road as a racetrack while ensuring the safety of others.

“As well as the obvious dangers of driving at speed on urban roads, car cruising generates a lot of late-night noise nuisance for people living near key routes.

“Law abiding drivers can also feel intimidated when they inadvertently find themselves in the middle of a gathering." 

Members of the public are asked to report car cruising by calling police on 101.