A WARNING has gone out to "boy racers" in Ryedale: Behave yourselves or we'll seize your cars!

Inspector Neil Burnett is warning that his officers have been given tough new powers, and are prepared to seize vehicles on the spot.

He has drafted a hard-hitting letter warning drivers that officers in Ryedale are making the issue a top priority.

The letters are being carried by all officers and will be handed to any motorist police suspect of driving in an anti-social way.

Incidents of car-related anti-social behaviour, including excessive speed, engine revving, wheel spinning, unnecessary use of the horn and excessively loud stereo systems, will all come under the spotlight under the new legislation, the Police Reform Act 2002.

The tough new powers will herald the start of a crackdown targeting known hotspots where groups congregate, Inspector Burnett said.

"This is an issue of real concern for a lot of people in the district and we think this is really quite a useful piece of legislation - we feel confident it will help us far more than anything before."

Insp Burnett said the open letter was designed to make younger drivers aware of the change in the law.

Under the new regime, vehicle owners will be given a warning if they are caught committing an offence of careless and inconsiderate driving and causing a public nuisance.

If they are caught again within two years the car will be seized on the spot. Recovering a seized vehicle will cost a minimum of £105, rising £12 a day for every day the car remains locked up.

Residents close to car parks in Wentworth Street, Malton, and Eastgate, Pickering, have been plagued by the drivers, who gather until 2am or 3am some nights.

One Malton woman, who asked not to be named, said weekends had become unbearable.

"Friday and Saturday nights are the worst, but they are down in Wentworth Street every night," she said.

"When it's been raining they go berserk skidding, it wakes you up. And they play heavy music, it's dreadful."

Police are also clamping down on antisocial behaviour in Pickering.

Community safety sergeant Cliff Edens said: "We are speaking to young people who are causing problems in terms of nuisance and damage, and we are making sure their parents know."

Over the weekend damage was caused in the churchyard at St Peter's and St Paul's Church, in Market Place, where at least half a dozen headstones were pushed over.

Churchwarden Charles Taplin, said: "I am very angry about it - I want the police to pull their finger out and do something about this."

Updated: 10:55 Wednesday, May 14, 2003