BOY racers are making lives a misery for residents in Laindon by tearing round the streets in modified cars.

Residents claim petrolheads are speeding round the streets late at night and are calling on the authorities to take action.

They want to see speed bumps installed along Laindon Link to stop it being turned into a race track.

Noise levels and antisocial behaviour came to a head last Thursday according to those living nearby.

Matt Cornall, 34, of Falstones, said: “As I’m near Laindon Link road I’ve encountered some loud and disturbing traffic noise. I only moved there recently. It happens between 11pm and midnight every night, and the cars will go up and down the road a number of times.

“It seems to be the same cars every night as I have learnt to recognise the particular sound of the car. To create this amount of noise the carsmust be doing a speed which is far too much for that road. The problem is because it is a straight road there is an opportunity to gather speed due to no speed bumps.

The drivers have no consideration for the surrounding residents, and something needs to be done before someone gets hurt due to reckless driving.”

Frank Ferguson, Ukip councillor for Lee Chapel, has heard the sound of tyres screeching from boy racers doing donuts around the mini roundabout at the junction of Laindon Link and Hatterill.

He believes the bus lane along the stretch of road needs to be scrapped, and wants mini roundabouts to be replaced with raised junctions.

Mr Ferguson is also concerned about motorists using Elizabeth Way and other parts of the Five Links estate as a rat run, and speeding through residential streets.

He said: “The junction of Laindon Link and Hatterill is an absurd layout, no doubt originally conceived to force traffic onto Hatterill and away from Laindon Link.

“I’ve had a lot of complaints about boy racers there, and it’s something a lot of people have been trying to sort out for years.

“The bus lane along Laindon Link is totally unnecessary, and the problem become a lot worse during the redevelopment of Five Links because a new access road was created, which motorists use as a cutthrough.”

He has contacted Rodney Bass, Esssex County Council's highways boss, with his suggestions, and he has passed them on to the local highways panel.

Councillor warned it would be worse in summer

THE latest problems along Laindon Link come just five months after a councillor warned the boy racers issue would become worse over the summer.

Kerry Smith, an Independent county and borough councillor, who sits on Basildon's local highways panel, has already applied for cash to install speed bumps around Southfields Business Park, in Langdon Hills.

He said he takes a no-nonsense approach to boy racers, and will monitor the problem.

He said: “The highways panel is still looking into what can be done at the business park, but unfortunately it does take a lot of time.

“Residents deserve a decent night’s sleep, it’s very inconsiderate.

Luckily, I don’t think accidents are as much of a problem because these boy racers spend a lot of money doing up their cars and they don't want to ruin them.

“If police see a car with a modification they need to do a quick check with insurance companies, and if they aren’t insured properly then the cars should be crushed.”