Residents near Southend Airport are demanding action to put a stop to their sleepless nights.

Planes aren't the problem but boy racers, forced off the seafront and flocking to the retail car park.

Since the use of barriers on Western Esplanade, people living near the airport retail park have suffered a dramatic increase in noise from cruisers' wheel spins, skids and revving engines.

Damage - a barrier at the airport retail area car park, now being used by cruisers forced off the seafront, lies twisted and broken Picture: ELISE GOW 7XFH42

"It's a nightmare," said Deborah Jenkinson, 42, of Warners Bridge Close.

"A barrier has been smashed and they use the car park which serves the stores. The noise keeps us awake with all the revving - sometimes you are just waiting to hear a crash. It starts at 10.30pm and doesn't finish until 2.30am.

"We've been in touch with the police and they said 'We'll tell you what we told everyone else', so obviously there have been many complaints.

"They said it is not a public highway, they say their hands are tied.

A spokesman for Essex Police said that the Road Traffic Act does not apply on private property, so the matter was virtually out of their hands.

Published Thursday, March 7, 2002