Grafton Way in Ipswich where boy racers fly round using the road like a race track

AN operation to target anti-social behaviour on town centre roads has been hailed a success.

Suffolk police held a operation in Grafton Way, Commercial Road and Chancery Road – an area dubbed the double Ds – with the aim of taking action against boy racers.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk police said 43 vehicles were escorted to a check site in a car park opposite Ipswich Town Football Club in Portman Road, where tests were carried out on them.

Of the 43 tested vehicles, only four left the site clear of offences.

The operation saw eight immediate prohibitions handed out, preventing unsafe vehicles from leaving the site. A further 54 advising notices were given to motorists for minor defects.

There were also six searches under the Misuse of Drugs Act, resulting in the seizure of cannabis from two vehicles and two warnings.

One vehicle was also seized after checks revealed the driver had no insurance or driving licence, while a further report for summons to court was issued for a motorist allegedly failing to stop for a constable, having no insurance and no licence.

Three endorsable fixed penalty notices were also handed out for tyre defects and tinted windows, with 13 non-endorsable notices given for offences such as not wearing seat belts and defects with exhausts.

No arrests were made during the operation.

The police spokeswoman said the operation had been a success, despite the adverse weather conditions officers experienced when the operation was carried out on January 17.

The operation was a collaboration between the force’s road policing and firearms unit and the automatic number plate recognition team.

Partner agencies including the Environment Agency and the Suffolk Roadsafe team also attended.