Swindon chaos as 200 car enthusiasts block Great Western Way in late-night stunt
Traffic grind to a halt at 9pm
Police were called to Great Western Way in Swindon around 9pm last night (07/08) after roughly 200 people in 50 cars gathered, causing a major blockage on the road.
Officers shut the carriageway as a safety precaution. The road finally reopened by 10.30pm when the crowd moved on.
More cars cause disruption later
But the drama didn’t end there. About 30 cars showed up later in the evening on the Dorcan Industrial Estate, adding to the disruption in Swindon.
Police hit back at anti-social car meet behaviour
T/Superintendent Joe Saunders said: “We responded to a gathering of a large number of people who had parked their cars on Great Western Way last night. To ensure public safety, we were forced to close the carriageway for more than an hour at great inconvenience to the public.
“Our officers had to contend with a number of instances of anti-social behaviour directed at them over the course of the evening.
“While no arrests were made at the time, we shall be examining the circumstances and will consider appropriate further action.
“The vast majority of car enthusiasts pursue their passion lawfully, however we will not hesitate to take robust action against those who choose to flout the law and cause inconvenience to other road users.
“We will continue to monitor future such car meets and engage with those taking part to ensure public safety and minimise the impact to the wider community.”
Wiltshire Police launch new road safety crackdown
- Today marks the start of Wiltshire Police’s road safety campaign to tackle the causes of fatal and serious road collisions.
Wiltshire Police are making road safety their top priority this summer with tougher enforcement and driver education following 13 deaths on local roads so far this year.
