A SHOPPING centre in Hayes has moved to drive out ‘boy racers’.

Lombardy Retail Park is bringing in after-hours parking restrictions, following complaints about young drivers revving their engines into the early hours.

Cushman and Wakefield, which manages the retail park in Coldharbour Lane, has confirmed it is implementing new rules which will allow Euro Car Parks, which enforces regulations on its behalf, to issue tickets to anyone on the site after 12.30am Monday to Saturday, and 6pm on Sunday.

There will also be security guards and a helpdesk so they can log activity and call police to deal with any anti-social behaviour.

The changes will come into effect on Friday.

Tara Lane-Williams lives in St Christophers Drive, a cul-de-sac separated from the retail park by a wooden fence. She expressed relief that something was being done.

“It is a long time coming, and fingers crossed it makes a difference,” she said

“For a long time we have had these ‘boy racers’ congregating in the car park, doing ‘donuts’ (car pirouettes) and skidding and playing extremely loud music.

“It happens pretty much every weekend, and the summers are particularly bad. We are kept up at all hours.”

Simon Mapes, Hillingdon Police neighbourhood police team sergeant for the Townfield Ward, said. “The issue with the boy racers has been going on for some time. The events are sporadic and we deal as we find.”

The park has a Sainsbury’s store with its own multi-storey car park, open until midnight apart from Sundays, and shoppers visiting the other stores use the spaces at ground level. There is no means of blocking access to the car parks when the shops are closed.

Kevin Wilson, 42, says he can hear the noise from his house in Priory Close.

“It is mainly on Friday on Saturday nights, and I have really noticed it over the past few months. Over the summer we would sit in the garden, and you could hear screeching, banging and shouting. They use it as a race track.

“There is a bit of distance between my house and the area, and I wouldn’t want to imagine what it is like for people who live closer. I don’t think fines will work; they just won’t pay them. Points on their licences would be more effective,” he added.