ICY car parks in Ottery St Mary are a magnet for anti-social boy racers to drive dangerously, say police.

Sergeant Simon Tennant expressed his support for Councillor Roger Giles’ bid to see East Devon District Council (EDDC) change its’ policy on gritting the region’s car parks.

Cllr Giles read an e-mail from the neighbourhood team leader when he addressed the council’s overview and scrutiny committee last week.

“I believe car parks get a reputation within the ‘boy racer’ fraternity as areas suitable to perform such behaviour,” said Sgt Tennant.

“We suffer from such drivers who come to Ottery from areas such as Dunkeswell and Honiton to perform anti-social behaviour in Canaan Way’s car park.”

He pin-pointed the Canaan Way site as an “open, flat, icy area that attracts significant anti-social behaviour in the form of bad and dangerous driving”- a police priority to tackle.

Sgt Tennant said, during freezing temperatures in January, police received numerous reports of offences.

“Ottery Police would welcome anything you can do to have these open areas gritted by EDDC, as it will deter and prevent such anti-social behaviour, and the council will have helped prevent it affecting residents and visitors to our town.”