Wealthy residents in London’s most exclusive suburb claim their lives have been blighted by an influx of super-rich foreign supercar drivers who turn the area into a noisy ”race track”.
Upmarket homeowners in Chelsea and Knightsbridge say the Middle Eastern playboys keep them awake until 4am with speeding, noisy engines and booming steroes.
The area has become a base for dozens of super-rich young men who transport their supercars to the some of the world’s most exclusive locations during the summer months.
Police have stepped up patrols in the area after a number of incidents last year, including a Lamborghini which crashed into four parked cars.
Panda Morgan Thomas, who lives on Sloane Street in Knightsbridge, said the situation is an ”absolute nightmare”.
The business consultant said: ”The sports cars are back and they’re racing each other at night, turning Sloane Street into a Formula One circuit.
”It starts at about 9pm when they park their cars on the road and start revving their loud engines. This goes on until up to 4am and it’s an absolute nightmare.
”I work long hours and it affects my sleep. My daughter is nearly deaf and even she is woken up at night by the cars.
”Further there are rickshaws with boom boxes circling the area, playing very loud music, often until 4am and there are no laws surrounding these.
”They are not licensed and they can be deeply dangerous. There is a serious accident waiting to happen – it is only a matter of time.
”The police have been very supportive but the revving and the racing continues to take place.
”We know it’s only going to get worse and local residents are dreading the next few weeks.
”I’m delighted that London attracts tourist – it’s very good for the economy – but this is a residential area too and such behaviour is not acceptable.”
The supercar influx began last month when the playboys’ summer ‘season’ got underway.
They use the capital as a base as they drive their customised supercars across the continent visiting some of Europe’s most exclusive resorts.
The drivers are so wealthy they have little concern about parking fines and have little regard for the rules of the road.
Parking tickets for foreign-registered vehicles were up 23 per cent year-on-year for the month of June, according to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council.
And a number of Arab motorists have been photographed driving around the capital in their flash supercars with illegal number plates or, in some cases, no front number plates at all.
All cars in the UK must have a front and rear registration plate with legible characters. Vehicles with letters or numbers that are not identifiable in the UK must have a temporary ‘Q’ plate.
Failure to comply with this can result in a fine of up to £1,000.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it will monitoring the situation, which saw a number of high profile incidents last summer – including the occasion one man from the UAE was charged with dangerous driving and driving with no insurance when he crashed a Lamborghini into four parked cars.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: ”A number of operations are taking place throughout the summer months, targeting the issue of anti-social behaviour, specifically from drivers of high performance cars in the vicinity of Brompton Road, Basil Street and Sloane Street.
”Safer Neighbourhoods officers will be making spot-checks on cars, including high performance cars, ensuring that the correct documentation is in place and the vehicle is road legal.
”Officers are also ensuring that no road traffic violations are being committed.”
The Metropolitan Police were seen in Knightsbridge on Thursday stopping a number of English and foreign-owned supercars.
A Qatar-registered Dodge Challenger (pictured, above) was loaded onto a flatbed truck after the driver was found to have an invalid driving licence.
Motoring enthusiasts yesterday leapt to the defence of the Middle-Eastern motorists at the centre of the controversy.
Student Alex Penfold, 17, said: ”The Middle-Eastern guys give myself and other car enthusiasts the chance to see rare and expensive cars we’d never be able to otherwise.
”I think seeing a fluorescent pink Bentley would brighten up most people’s day, just because of how ridiculous it looks.
”Some of these guys drive around revving the cars but a lot just drive around at 30mph before stopping for a coffee.”
Pictures by Alex Penfold
“Failure to comply with this can result in a fine of up to £1,000.”
Yeah, that’ll show them!
There should be a law, lack of the government for not issuing this matter. Secondly i think they don’t want to do it because there are some people benefiting from it ,, its all about the ‘money ‘money ‘money :_)
so true jabs
1000? Those guys paid at least 30000 for one way shipping mr… So I don’t they mind with the 1000
You dont buy fast cars to drive slow !
what do they expect !