A weekly cruise meeting which attracts hundreds of boy racers was stopped in its tracks by the police.

Around 30 officers stopped vehicles and spoke to drivers in Coomber Way last Thursday as part of Operation Arrow.

Chief Inspector David Gair of Sutton police said the operation was aimed at educating the cruisers and reassuring the public.

The police presence followed calls from residents of the Cherry Trees estate, on the border of Croydon and Sutton, for more to be done to combat the weekly street races.

More than 100 people attended a meeting at the Peppermint Healthy Living Centre in Franklin Way, Valley Park, last month to demand the police get tough on the cruisers by introducing a dispersal zone to exclude the cruisers from the area where they live and for police to use powers to confiscate cars and to crush the vehicles of repeat offenders.

Chief Insp Gair said: "We've had a positive response from members of the public. We want them to know we are here and we do have a plan of action for dealing with the problem."

He added: "We know it's just a small minority who are driving their vehicles recklessly. So it's a matter of educating them.

"Officers have the power to stop cars and where there are problems drivers can be issued with fixed penalty notices."

As well as fines police have the power to impound cars whose drivers had previously been warned about their behaviour.

On the night police issued four fixed penalty notices, asked four drivers to return to the station within seven days to produce their documents and arrested one driver who failed to stop.

Desmond FitzGerald, who lives on the estate, said he was pleased the cruise had been disrupted but said: "It's good the police are here and have stopped the cruise but it needs to be consistent. Otherwise they'll just return."

The meetings had become so established burger vans would turn up to feed the hundreds of people descending on the area.

Police believe the cruisers keep in touch via dedicated websites. In March 2004 one meeting ended in tragedy when 15-year-old Stefan Corson died after being hit by two cars while watching the event.

Dan Menhinnett - Homer Simpson's creators might have found stupidity inspiration here'
Cruisers who travelled to Coomber Way last Thursday were in for a big surprise.

Around 30 police officers from Sutton were lying in wait for drivers flouting traffic regulations, breaking laws or driving dangerously. Several drivers found themselves hit with fines, some totalling hundreds of pounds, for offences including driving without insurance or tax.

Since July residents say their lives have been made a misery as hundreds of cars used Coomber Way as a race track, showing off their souped-up machines. But the appearance of the police meant the area was strangely quiet. Officers said it's not hard to spot those coming to take part. Many of them appear in modified cars modified as far as I could see to make them hideously garish or disgustingly loud.

And some of the drivers lacked much sense. An officer remarked Homer Simpson's creators might have found inspiration for his stupidity here.

One car was not stopped until it had passed police twice, landing the driver with more than £300 in fines and three points. Then the chap was forced to ring to find someone to come for him. The message for the cruisers was simple: stay within the law or face being fined or worse having your pride and joy impounded.