An East London council has vowed to clamp down on boy racers by slapping them with a £100 fine if they are caught driving and treating the streets “as a race track”.

Newham Council’s cabinet agreed on Tuesday (December 6) to introduce a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for drivers being a nuisance to residents in Beckton, Custom House, Royal Albert, Royal Victoria and Stratford wards of the borough.

The PSPO will come into force on January 18, 2023, and will allow police and authorised council officers to hand a £100 fine to anyone causing anti-social behaviour involving their cars.

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Between  April 1, 2019, and  March 31, 2022, a total of 332 reports were received by the council regarding “motor vehicle nuisance”. Reported incidents peaked in Beckton and Royal Albert wards, with these two areas accounting for 27per cent of all complaints submitted.

It said the number of complaints is now at its highest for the first time in three years. Mounting and driving on the pavement, car meets, excessive engine revving and street racing are just some of the problems that have been complained about.

The council has been working with residents in this area over the last year to prevent the issue and warned further permanent measures will also be brought in to tackle anti-social behaviour.

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In the Stratford ward, Pudding Mill Lane has become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour with cars after 76 incidents were reported to police during 2022/23. As a result, traffic calming measures are being considered for Barbers Road and Cooks Road to stop drivers from racing off.

Cllr Carleene Lee-Phakoe, cabinet member for crime and community safety, said: “Residents have raised concerns about motor vehicle nuisance and we have acted on these concerns.

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“No one wants cars racing down their street, cars revving their engines or playing loud music. We want our streets to be safe spaces and it is not acceptable for our streets to be used as a race track.

“We’ve carried out significant work to tackle the issue already, but with the introduction of the PSPO, the council and the police will be better equipped to deter and prevent organised street racing and vehicle nuisance activities as well as effectively tackle perpetrators when incidents do occur.”

The scheme will come into force next year and will last for three years.