BOY racers have been intimidating elderly people in a Southend seafront car park.

Grandmother Rita Lowe raised concerns after she was blocked in the car park opposite the Kursaal by a group of drivers.

She spoke out at a meeting of the Leigh Crime Prevention Panel on Monday night, to ask police to tackle the problem.

Mrs Lowe, who lives in Eastwood, said she had returned to her car with her grand-daughter when she found the exit blocked.

She said: “I wanted to get out, and two cars were parked right in front of me. I couldn’t leave because they were in the path of my car.”

The grandmother waited politely for about eight minutes, before she realised another six cars had pulled up behind her. She said: “One of the boy racers came right up to my boot.

“I thought, ‘I’m not having this, I’m going to get out to have a go at them’.”

Mrs Lowe decided to try to leave through the car park entrance, as no vehicles were approaching.

But one car followed her all the way to Westcliff Leisure Centre, driving right up to Mrs Lowe’s rear bumper, at about 8.20pm on Monday, April 27.

Acting Sgt Penny Copeland, of Leigh police, said there was CCTV covering the area, and they were aware boy racers had been meeting in the car park.

She added: “It’s normally at the weekend. I wasn’t aware that it was happening on a Monday night. I’ll make the officers aware of it.”