CAR cruisers who rev their engines loudly or blast music in town centres will have their vehicles towed away.

Police community support officers (PCSOs) have seized seven vehicles in the past four weeks during a blitz on boy racers and anti-social drivers in Bishop Auckland.

Drivers have paid £165 each to collect cars from a pound.

PCSO Ian McCarthy said officers had targeted the Bondgate and Market Place areas, including the Batts and the North Bondgate car park

He said drivers whose cars were seized were warned before action was taken.

Officers also discovered several uninsured vehicles.

Bishop Auckland's Community Inspector Chris Reeves said it was important that the operation had high visibility.

He said: "It has a big impact when people see a car being towed away.

"It sends out a message that anti-social driving will not be tolerated and I applaud Ian for doing it.

"We have no powers to confiscate the cars permanently, but we can seize them again and again."

He warned motorists revving engines loudly, pulling away at high speed, playing loud music or completing hand-brake turns.

Insp Reeves said: "It covers any driving which we believe to be in an aggressive manner or is causing a nuisance to people in the area.

"This sort of driving has been a problem for some time and we are doing what we can to tackle it.

"There are both boy and girl racers who do a circuit of the area and congregate on the car park, where we also have traffic officers on patrol.

"This problem should be solved eventually when North Bondgate is redeveloped.

"We have to find a way of keeping them off while leaving it open to other road users."