A52 racing will lead to tragedy, warn residents

Residents living near a stretch of the A52 in Nottinghamshire say vehicles racing along the road is "an accident waiting to happen".

They describe the A52 Brian Clough Way from Bramcote Island as a regular spot for drivers of modified vehicles to race along the dual carriageway towards Bardills roundabout, which connects to the B6003 Toton Lane.

Susanna Atassi, who lives nearby, is concerned a crash on the 1.5-mile (2.4km) section of the road is "inevitable" if deterrents are not put in place.

In June, Nottinghamshire Police launched Operation Burnout, deploying patrols along the A52 to tackle street racing and anti-social driving.

Atassi, 44, is concerned the racing has been more frequent in the summer and, despite living several streets away from the main road, the noise from the cars keeps her and her family awake at night.

"It's more frequent on a Sunday night, and they make a horrendous noise.

"I'm always listening out for a crash. Inevitably it's going to happen at some point. Whether it's the racers themselves or heaven forbid, an innocent member of the public, feasibly, someone could be coming home from work, could have kids in the car.

"They could just be innocently driving from Bardills to Bramcote Island and get caught up in that."

Neighbour Amy Wright, who works for the NHS, says residents have been warning for years that an incident was inevitable.

"I think, as residents, we've been saying for a long time 'it's only a matter of time before something happens'."

Wright says illegal racing is not only dangerous but puts additional pressure on emergency services.

She added: "It's actually a drain on our emergency services. The impact on the wider community is huge."

The 39-year-old believes more enforcement is needed, saying: "I don't think the dispersal orders that are in place are significant enough to work. I think we need some CCTV cameras up."

Sgt Heather Harding has said officers are "well aware of concerns about this stretch of road" and there is "a proactive local policing operation in place to challenge, deter and prosecute drivers where necessary".

She added that police had seen a reduction in reports of anti-social driving and urged residents to submit evidence through the force's online portal, warning the consequences of dangerous driving could be "life-changing for everyone involved".

Broxtowe Borough Council says it is aware of residents' concerns about the A52 and has raised them with National Highways.

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