FURIOUS residents met police last night in a bid to stop gangs of car cruisers turning Worthing seafront into a no-go zone.

The meeting at Worthing Town Hall was called to protest against young racers they say are causing havoc at Splash Point, near the pier.

Neighbours say they are kept awake by wheels spinning and ear-splitting car stereos.

Gangs of youths gather after dark to show off their cars and race up and down the promenade.

Police say they are keen to nip the problem in the bud, but some residents said police were not listening to them.

Mum Nicola Sheeran, of Warwick Road, helped organise the meeting with PC Andy Slark, community beat officer, and PC Peter Jones, crime prevention officer.

She said: "I can hear the cars as they race along and we can hear the wheelspins as they go off again. I cannot see why they are not being prosecuted."

Dave Cutts, 44, who also lives nearby, said: "There is a CCTV camera down there but it never seems to catch any of them. I know people who will not walk down there at night. They find it too intimidating."

PC Jones said after the meeting: "We have received complaints about this and we are working in partnership with the community to stop it happening."

He said police would look into the possibility of traffic calming.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.