Twelve fines have been issued to motorists as police step up their crackdown on boy racers in a Kent town.

Officers carried out road checks and monitored the speeds of vehicles in Dartford last night following complaints that the Crossway Boulevard in Greenhithe was being turned into a regular weekend race track.

A public space protection order had been issued by the borough council, as authority chiefs looked to hand detectives wide-ranging powers to issue on-the-spot fines to motorists suspected of taking part in "car meets".

Police flooded the area on Friday evening, issuing eight fixed-penalty notices during the night.

And at 8.20pm yesterday officials announced: "Tonight we have dealt with a group of 12 gathered in a Dartford car park.

"Some of the group stated they were on a Kent coast cruise.

"They have all been issued a penalty notice."

Speed checks were also undertaken in Crossways Boulevard. By the end of the operation, three drivers were reported for speeding.

Road checks - involving cops from Dartford and Gravesham - were also carried out in Phoenix Quarter, in the wake of reports of anti-social behaviour and nuisance vehicles in the area.

Residents near Crossways Boulevard had previously complained their lives were being made a misery by the car-racing, while truck drivers complained they had been unable to access their depots because of vehicles in the way.

The meets had even begun to attract large audiences of spectators with one witness describing how people had taken to sitting in the middle of the roundabout in garden chairs, drinking beer and eating crisps as they watched the races.

Insp Trevor Jenner pledged: "Officers will continue to regularly patrol the area."

Dartford council leader Jeremy Kite had earlier declared: "This persistent anti-social behaviour cannot go on. It is wrecking the lives of local people.

"Local people are desperate to see prosecutions and an end to this problem."

He said that beyond the immediate sanction of the fine, those caught abusing the public space protection order would also have their anti-social driving behaviour conveyed to their insurers, which was likely to land them with further financial burdens going forward.