Motorists have been hit with fines totalling thousands of pounds following a joint crackdown on large boy racer meet-ups.

A spate of speeding and nuisance driving in New Hythe Lane, Larkfield has prompted the council and police to join forces to try and stop the culprits in their tracks.

Tonbridge and Malling council says it has installed CCTV at hotspots for anti-social behaviour and issued more than 40 fixed penalty notices of £100 to individuals attending the meet-ups.

Police have also put dispersal orders in place to give them the power to move anyone on who is gathering in this location.

The council says regular speeding and racing in New Hythe Lane has often seen more than 50 vehicles gathering at a time.

It says the scale of these events has created excessive noise and traffic disruption, posed a threat to life through reckless driving and impacted the quality of life for residents.

Cllr Des Keers, cabinet member for community services said: “Speeding and racing in New Hythe Lane has been of huge local concern.

“The noise from revving exhausts and worry about using the road was impacting residents’ lives.

“By working with Kent Police we have been able to take swift action to address the issue.”

The council says it is committed to keeping rates of anti-social behaviour low through its Community Safety Partnership (CSP).

It continues to works with partner authorities including Kent Police, Kent Fire & Rescue Service, Kent County Council and various housing groups to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Other effective measures have included the use of CCTV cameras.

In 2023, the council purchased four mobile cameras with £20,000 of its £1m grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

These were deployed to various locations known for anti-social behaviour for up to six months and the councils says the cameras have been a powerful tool in helping with cases like this, by identifying areas of concern to council enforcement teams and providing evidence to pass on to the police.

Cllr Keers added: “We're determined to use all the tools at our disposal so that people don’t have to put up with anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.

“By targeting problem areas through mobile CCTV and working proactively with Kent Police we aim to improve quality of life for residents and help keep Tonbridge and Malling a safe place to live.”

Residents can report incidents of antisocial behaviour to the CSP via the council website where full details of the Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) in the borough can also be found.

The council can issue fixed penalty notices to anyone found breaching the rules of its PSPOs.

PSPOs prohibit antisocial behaviour including unauthorised vehicle meetings, across the borough to ensure people can enjoy public spaces safely.