Could noise cameras muffle the boy racers? Drivers in supercars could fall foul of devices that are triggered by loud sounds after campaign by celebrity residents including Anthea Turner

Selfish drivers in loud supercars and motorbikes may soon get their comeuppance as cameras triggered by excessive noise are to be deployed.

Celebrity residents of the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea including Anthea Turner have complained of the nightly 'torture' of boy racers' loud engines.

Acoustic cameras, which photograph number plates of offenders, are expected to be brought in across the borough following a consultation and trial. 

Areas across Britain are expected to follow if successful.

Broadcaster Miss Turner has spearheaded calls for a wider adoption of the noise cameras. 

Celebrity residents of the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea including Anthea Turner have complained of the nightly 'torture' of boy racers' loud engines

She said: 'I am not one of life's complainers and fully take on board that if you choose to live in a city there are consequences, one of which is, to a greater or lesser degree, traffic noise.

'But what is happening here is becoming a daily and I'm afraid nightly torture.' 

She said bikers use a part of the borough by the Thames as a racetrack, adding: 'I've even witnessed some performing stunts.'

She added: 'The majority of the traffic uses Chelsea as a cut-through and whether they rev their engines, speed, honk their horns, turn their music up, they give not a second thought or have any respect for our lives.

'This truly is anti-social behaviour and it needs to be stopped.'

Acoustic cameras, which photograph number plates of offenders, are expected to be brought in across the borough following a consultation and trial (Pictured: Lamborghini supercar in London)

The trials of the new technology will determine whether the legal noise limit has been breached by taking into account the class and speed of the vehicle relative to the location of the noise camera (Pictured: Ferrari in London)

The Department for Transport carried out trials of acoustic cameras in a different setting – along A roads, but a DfT source said the trials were 'inconclusive' as along busy main roads it is difficult identifying which vehicle is making the racket.

But in quieter streets it is easier to identify noise offenders.

Lead Member for environment, planning and place at Kensington Council, Councillor Johnny Thalassites said: 'Residents have had enough of drivers using our streets as a racetrack.

'Piloting new noise camera technology last year has helped us catch some of the worst offenders of noisy and inconsiderate driving.

'We want our borough to be the best place to live, work and learn in London and we are always looking for ways to make it a great place to be while keeping the community safe.

'We now wish to hear from those living and working in the borough to see if they would benefit from boroughwide enforcement against this issue.'

Studies have found that exposure to noise can have significant physical and mental health implications – with heart attacks, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and stress all linked to long-term contact with loud environments.

Currently, enforcement is mainly reactive and relies on subjective judgement.

The trials of the new technology will determine whether the legal noise limit has been breached by taking into account the class and speed of the vehicle relative to the location of the noise camera.