BOY racers are to be banned from a Colchester retail park under new powers, set to be used for the first time in the country.

Colchester Council has announced it plans to make car parks at Turner Rise Retail Park the subject of a new kind of antisocial behaviour order.

Twice in the past seven months, as many as 500 car cruisers have roared into Turner Rise, upsetting neighbours by revving their engines, playing loud music and burning rubber in the car park.

Sgt Lou Middleton, of Colchester police, said: “This will make life better for businesses and residents.

“We have lots of homes behind the retail park, where residents are complaining about constantly being disturbed by vehicle noise, screeching brakes and loud music. There is also always the issue of litter.

“It is happening periodically and we know it is down to young people congregating there in cars.

When police patrols go, we are not finding them doing anything much, but it is quite clear from the residents, it is causing a disturbance.

“Those people are not going there to use the businesses, they are going there to socialise.”

The new public spaces protection order, a form of Asbo, will apply between 6pm and 6am and give police the power to ban motorists from the car park unless the driver or passengers shopping, or using restaurants on the site.

Legitimate shop and restaurant customers going there during the hours the ban is in force will be given just 20 minutes to leave after they finish eating or shopping.

The order will also ban burger vans from selling food without permission, something which has added to the problems in the past.

Anyone breaching the order will risk a fine of £100. The order is due to come into force next month and last for a year.

Mile End ward councillor Martin Goss said: “This is really good news. It gives the police much more power to disperse people.

“It has been a real collaboration between police, the retail park, ward councillors and the council, to take up what has been a real concern for a long time.”

Colchester is likely to be the first council to take advantage of the new orders, which became available under a law that has only been in force since October 20.

A council spokesman said more than 500 cars had come to unauthorised boy racer meets on March 29 and October 26 this year.

He added: “The Crime and Policing Act 2014 has provided the council with additional powers to prevent noise and other nuisance that were not previously controllable.”

Public consultations on the new order are due to end on Friday, December 5.

The council will then consider the responses possible amendments before a final version of the order is confirmed.

To see full details of the order search for “Turner Rise order” at the council’s website, colchester .gov.uk Comments can be emailed to environmentalprotectionteam @colchester.gov.uk