Drivers who used a child to start 120mph Fast and Furious race are banned from the roads for a total of 300 years
Speeding drivers who tore down a main
street at up to 120mph after turning it into a makeshift drag strip
have been banned from the road for a total of 300 years.
Shocking CCTV footage shows a man apparently holding a child in the path of the cars to give the signal for one race to begin along the A47 in Birmingham, as spectators cheer and drivers rev their engines.
West Midlands Police arrested over 250 drivers - including a pensioner - during a major crackdown on the 'outrageous' activity, and said it was 'pure luck' the racing did not lead to any fatal crashes.
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The force said it used hidden
cameras to capture the footage, which revealed a 'young lad dodging
speeding drivers' after being used as an 'unofficial race starter'.
In another clip a driver crashes into the back of the car ahead of him, pausing only briefly before screeching off once again.
Police said the drivers were turning stretches of the main road in Nechells into 'no-go zones' on Sunday nights.
PC Paul Bieliauskas said some of the drivers had reached speeds of 120mph in scenes reminiscent of the action film The Fast and the Furious.
A 60-year-old man from Shirley in Birmingham, and a 53-year-old man from Erdington were among those arrested, police said.
'Their driving was outrageous and illegal - they posed a real danger to the public due to the manner of the driving and the speeds they reached, and it was down to pure good luck that it didn't result in any fatal collisions,' said PC Bieliauskas.
'These are public roads, not private race circuits for drivers wanting an adrenalin rush,' he added.
The Safer Birmingham Partnership − which includes West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service and Birmingham City Council − issued injunctions against many of those involved, prohibiting them from participating in or watching street racing.
Anyone ignoring the terms of their injunction will be banned from driving and risk a fine of up to £5,000.
Police said two of the racers caught on camera were already subject to driving bans. A 22-year-old man from Birmingham was jailed for 12 months and had a further two years added to his disqualification period.
The second man is currently awaiting trial.
Shocking CCTV footage shows a man apparently holding a child in the path of the cars to give the signal for one race to begin along the A47 in Birmingham, as spectators cheer and drivers rev their engines.
West Midlands Police arrested over 250 drivers - including a pensioner - during a major crackdown on the 'outrageous' activity, and said it was 'pure luck' the racing did not lead to any fatal crashes.
Scroll down for video
Danger: One CCTV clip shows what appears to be a child standing in the middle of the road to give the signal for a race to begin
In another clip a driver crashes into the back of the car ahead of him, pausing only briefly before screeching off once again.
Police said the drivers were turning stretches of the main road in Nechells into 'no-go zones' on Sunday nights.
Reckless: Police used hidden cameras to capture
the footage, which they said shows a 'young lad' being used as an
'unofficial race starter'
'Astonishing': The boy is dragged out of the path of the oncoming vehicles at the last moment by the older man
VIDEO Reckless drivers use child to start drag race on city roads
Officers issued individual driving bans of up to two years, along with fines of up to £2,000 as part of the crackdown, launched last summer.
PC Paul Bieliauskas said some of the drivers had reached speeds of 120mph in scenes reminiscent of the action film The Fast and the Furious.
A 60-year-old man from Shirley in Birmingham, and a 53-year-old man from Erdington were among those arrested, police said.
'Their driving was outrageous and illegal - they posed a real danger to the public due to the manner of the driving and the speeds they reached, and it was down to pure good luck that it didn't result in any fatal collisions,' said PC Bieliauskas.
'These are public roads, not private race circuits for drivers wanting an adrenalin rush,' he added.
No-go zone: The CCTV footage shows a driver ploughing into the car ahead of him as the vehicles speed along the main road
'Outrageous and illegal': The CCTV footage shows
a crowd that gathered to watch the late-night drag racing along the A47
in Birmingham
The Safer Birmingham Partnership − which includes West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service and Birmingham City Council − issued injunctions against many of those involved, prohibiting them from participating in or watching street racing.
Anyone ignoring the terms of their injunction will be banned from driving and risk a fine of up to £5,000.
Police said two of the racers caught on camera were already subject to driving bans. A 22-year-old man from Birmingham was jailed for 12 months and had a further two years added to his disqualification period.
The second man is currently awaiting trial.
Spectators: A crowd of onlookers gathered to
watch the drag racing, which has seen the dangerous drivers involved
banned for a collective 300 years