Gentlemen, switch OFF your engines

A new law will make it a criminal offence to accelerate rapidly, rev your engine or blast out loud music. 

Even leaving your engine running, sounding your horn or driving in a convoy could also get you into trouble, according to The Daily Telegraph, which has seen documents issued by the council.

The July arrival of expensive Arab-owned supercars has become an annual event in London as rich Qataris, Saudis, Emiratis and Kuwaitis move to Britain following the end of Ramadan to escape the baking midsummer months.  

Some bring with them their souped-up vehicles, which for much of the time are parked outside luxury shops, five-star hotels and other exclusive streets around Knightsbridge.

But when the owners are around they can cause all manner of nuisance for residents, leading the council to seek a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for large parts of the area around exclusive Harrods department store.   

PSPOs are new powers available under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. 

Published on Friday, a consultation document by Kensington and Chelsea Council proposes introducing the order to combat 'excessive level of noise, nuisance, annoyance, danger or risk of harm or injury' caused by drag-racing playboys.

Those who breach it could be fined, prosecuted or have their cars being seized by police and impounded.

Kensington & Chelsea council leader Nick Paget-Brown said: 'It has been a big problem for some years now. The area has become a destination for boy-racers from the Gulf States and their super cars make an enormous amount of noise.

'They rev their cars and they can be heard right across the neighbourhood. We wanted to find some way of tackling this and the best way forward is the PSPO. Residents have had to put up with too much for too long.'  

(dailymail.co.uk)