MORE than 50 cars turned up for an unauthorised meet in a council car park at the weekend.

Car enthusiasts organised the event at the Blackwater Leisure Centre car park, in Park Drive, Maldon, on Saturday evening.

Police were stationed in the area to monitor the event.

The meet comes after hundreds of high-performance cars gathered at Tesco and Morrisons car parks in Maldon in August before doing laps of the town centre.

More than 70 boy racers were caught including one person who clocked 70mph along Mundon Road.

Police said the event at the weekend had run smoothly and there had been no action taken.

But the car enthusiasts failed to get permission to meet at the Maldon District Council owned car park.

Councillor Ron Pratt, Chairman of the Council’s Community Services Committee, said; “The Leisure Centre car park is managed as part of the contract by Places for People Leisure Ltd.

“This event was an unofficial car meet and staff at the Centre called the Police to ensure that no nuisance was caused and the drivers left the site.

“The Leisure Centre car park as well as the car parks managed by the Council, are for the benefit of customers and the Council cannot condone such car meets.

“A multi-agency meeting is being held next month to discuss this type of activity and that of drivers who feel it is acceptable to use the roads as a racetrack which is both anti-social and dangerous.”

A message posted on the public Maldon Car Enthusiasts Facebook page said: “Just want to thank all of you who turned up.

“It was a successful first meet and thank you for your support and to those of you who shared the event and made it so successful.”