BOY racers who use Victoria Road as a race track late at night could have their cars confiscated.

The warning comes after nearby residents were woken in the early hours of Sunday by the sound of engines racing and cars backfiring.

“There were at least three drivers racing down Victoria Road at 10 to 15-minute intervals between 1.30am and 2.30am,” said one householder.

“They had souped up engines, were speeding horrendously and kept backfiring - there was a point when I thought they might have been two gunshots, not backfiring, it was so loud and frightening.”

She said she had gone to bed early because she had work the next day and was fast asleep when the racket woke her up.

“There was no way anybody in Victoria didn’t hear. It kept me awake for about an hour-and-a-half.

“Given the circuit they were clearly doing I can only think they must have been driving down Victoria Road, up Eastcott Road, along Bath Road and back down again.”

She added: “Someone could get killed - I'm not kidding. This is the point where drunk people are coming back up the hill from the nightclubs.”

Sgt Max Whyte, of Swindon town centre policing, team said: "We are aware that this part of town is frequented by car enthusiasts and we have received some complaints that they are not always exercising levels of care and consideration that other road users and residents would expect.

"In response to this we have conducted numerous patrols and spoken to, at the time peaceful and polite, groups of motorists to remind them of acceptable standards of behaviour. “

He said most were no problem and in most cases no offences had been committed.

“It is our experience that the noise made by some of these vehicles can lead people to perceive that they are driving faster than they really are,” he said.

Complaints and offences were monitored on a weekly basis with help from Swindon Borough Council and businesses whose car parks were used by the drivers and relevant action was taken.

"For those who do not meet acceptable standards, we have conducted numerous speed checks in and around the area and continue to do so,” he said.

"Those found driving dangerously, carelessly or at excessive speed should expect to be prosecuted for that behaviour and those who use their vehicles in an anti-social manner could find themselves being dealt with under the section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 which can lead to their vehicle being seized and taken away."

Last year motorists complained the new Regents Circus car park at the bottom of Victoria Road had become a no-go zone late in the evenings because of anti-social drivers racing around and doing handbrake turns.