Car cruisers invited for last Blackwood drive

BLACKWOOD car cruisers are being invited for one last drive down the High Street before it is closed to them on Thursday nights.

The Argus reported earlier this month how the street will be blocked off to cruisers from 7pm until 4am every Thursday night.

This follows years of campaigning from residents and traders after the town became a hotspot for car cruisers who travelled from far and wide to take part in the weekly meet.

This saw them driving at high speeds, sounding their horns and playing loud music into the early hours.

At its peak more than 300 cars and 500 people were gathering in the town.

The closure is now due to start on Thursday, but before it does the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership and other agencies are inviting the cruisers for a controlled drive down the street.

Car cruisers will gather at Pontllanfraith House at 6pm before the drive takes place at 6.40pm.

The road will then be closed behind them for the first time at 7pm.

The event, entitled “Big Screens and Mean machines” will see the drivers led back to the council office car park where a range of displays including an Aston Martin DB9 and the Mitsubishi Eclipse, which was used in the filming of 'The Fast and the Furious', will be on display.

Talks on details of the road closure, noise nuisance issues, speeding and safe driving will also take place.

Blackwood Neighbourhood Inspector Kevin Childs said that during a recent operation over five Thursday nights more than 250 drivers were caught speeding.

He said: "We want to use this night to get across crucial road safety measures and very simply explain that car cruising is not welcome in the area.”

High Street to be closed to cruisers

The closure will mean that cruisers won’t be able to drive along the High Street between the junctions with Bridge Street and the access road for Cwrt Glanhowy.

The first 20 metres of Woodbine Road and 40 metres of Pentwyn Road where they join High Street will also be off-limits.

Police officers will man each of the four points of the High Street which connect to other roads but will still allow buses, taxis, residents, emergency services and people working within the area through.

The new order will last for at least 18 months and will be reviewed in six months before it will be decided whether to make the move permanent.

Police have the power to expand the order to any other night of the week if necessary.