A CRACKDOWN aimed at cutting the numbers of "boy racers" on the streets has been hailed a success.

Despite the fact that Harwich police are still receiving complaints from residents about drivers speeding through their streets, police say they have seen a slight decrease in the number of careless driving incidents.

Police powers which give officers the right to seize vehicles on the spot have led to a number of vehicles, including mini-motorbikes being seized and, in some cases, destroyed.

The law allows police officers and PCSOs to issue a Section 59 warning to anyone who may be driving in a way that might cause distress to residents, such as wheel-spins or handbrake turns.

The incident is then stored on a national police database and, if the driver is caught driving carelessly again within 12 months of receiving the warning, the vehicle can be taken away on the spot.

Drivers then have the choice of paying a £110 fine to stop the car being taken, or paying an extra £12 a night while it is held in police storage.

In the past few months, police in Harwich have seized two cars and a mini-motorbike, and issued several Section 59 warnings to young drivers in the Harwich and Dovercourt area.