Boy racer fined for town centre antics

BOY racer Matthew Thorpe has been sentenced after he sped off at high speed through Ipswich town centre in a race with another car.

Thorpe, 23, appeared at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court where he was given a £200 fine and eight points on his driving licence.

The court heard how he had been driving his Vauxhall Nova along Commercial Road at around 10pm on February 26.

He pulled up at a set of traffic lights at the junction with Princes Street and another vehicle pulled up beside him. Both cars were revving their engines and when the lights changed to green they sped off with their wheels spinning.

They were racing up the road and neither driver was aware that a police car was behind them. The police eventually stopped Thorpe and he was taken to a police station.

Thorpe pleaded guilty to the offence of careless driving at an earlier hearing.

Chairman of the bench David Rowe told Thorpe: " This was aggravated by the fact that there was excessive speed when you were driving and racing and also you were driving like this on a busy road where they were lots of other drivers around."

Thorpe, of Rubens Road, Ipswich was also ordered to pay £35 costs.

The Evening Star has highlighted problems with boy racers in this part of Ipswich in the past. The nearby Staples superstore has seen its car park plagued by speeding cars in the evenings.

The store is currently considering a series of measures to prevent cars speeding through their car park, with speed bumps and lockable gates all planned to be introduced.

Staples manager Phil Greetham told The Star today that the moves were designed to make the car park safer for his customers after some vehicles had been seen travelling at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.

Mr Greetham said that the police had supported the store by prosecuting offenders, although the problem still exists.