Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall councils have applied for a new High Court injunction to ban "car cruising" in the Black Country.
The four councils, working in partnership with West Midlands Police, are returning to the High Court on Thursday 13 May, 2021, to seek a new injunction banning car cruising in the region.
Served against "persons unknown", the injunction, if granted, will forbid people from participating in, attending, promoting, organising or publicising a car cruise event. Anyone ignoring the injunction may be arrested, face penalties such as up to two years' imprisonment or an unlimited fine, or have their assets seized.
The proposed injunction would replace one which expired in February. It had been in force for six years and had helped dramatically reduce instances of car cruising across the Black Country during that time. Similar injunctions are in force in other parts of the West Midlands and surrounding areas.
The application will be heard at Birmingham High Court on Thursday 13 May, 2021. The hearing will take place remotely because of coronavirus restrictions. People are invited to submit comments and observations regarding car cruising and the application for a new injunction by emailing litigation@wolverhampton.gov.uk by 4pm on Tuesday 4 May, 2021. Comments received will be presented as evidence to the High Court.
For more information, including details of full terms of the injunction and evidence in support of the application, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/carcruisinginjunction.
David Pattinson, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Director of Governance, said: “Car cruising is noisy, dangerous and illegal and some events have resulted in serious injuries and even death.
“Over the last few years, councils and the police have received hundreds of complaints about dangerous driving, execessive noise, litttering and people and vehicles obstructing highways and residential or business properties.
“Law abiding drivers can also feel intimidated when they inadvertently find themselves in the middle of a street race.
"The previous Black Country-wide injunction proved incredibly effective in reducing instances of car cruising across the region. However, the problem still persists in some areas, and has started to grow again since the original injunction expired.
"It is important that the authorities have the powers they need to crack down on car cruising as and when it occurs and so we are naturally keen to see this new injunction granted by the High Court, which will then be introduced as soon as possible."
The application is led by the City of Wolverhampton Council on behalf of the four Black Country local authorities and West Midlands Police.
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