26 drivers got Community Protection Warnings after racing on Shepherds Lane, police say. Patrols also cover Bob Dunn Way, University Way and Crossways Boulevard.

Twenty-six drivers have been given Community Protection Warnings after a group was caught racing on Shepherds Lane, Dartford, on the evening of Friday 11 September.

Kent Police said residents alerted one of its patrols to the racing. Officers went straight there, gathered evidence and dispersed the group. The warnings were then issued jointly with Dartford Borough Council to drivers identified as being in the area. The force published the details in a statement on 2 October.

The hotspots police are patrolling

Marked and unmarked police cars attended known nuisance driving hotspots throughout September, the force said. It named three roads:

  • Bob Dunn Way
  • University Way
  • Crossways Boulevard

The patrols are part of a joint operation between the police and the council.

What a warning means for the 26 drivers

A Community Protection Warning is not a fine. Under the force’s statement, the 26 people must now keep to the conditions of Dartford’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). If they do not, they will receive a Community Protection Notice. Breaking that notice can lead to a fine or other legal action.

The force did not say whether any vehicles were seized or anyone was arrested, and it gave no ages or home areas for the drivers.

What the borough-wide order bans

The order in question is the council’s Nuisance Vehicles PSPO. It took effect on 27 May 2025, runs for three years and covers the entire borough, not only the town centre.

It bars people from coming into the area to race or display cars, or to watch others do it. Registered keepers must not do any of the following in the area:

  • speeding, driving in convoy or racing
  • performing stunts or wheel spins
  • revving engines
  • sounding horns or playing music so as to cause a nuisance
  • recording any of those activities on a phone or other device
  • threatening or intimidating another person
  • blocking a road or a publicly accessible place

There are exemptions, including for licensed and insured events held with the landowner’s written permission between 8am and 6pm.

The council’s PSPO FAQs say police officers, PCSOs and the council’s accredited civil enforcement officers can all enforce its orders.

What it means for you

If a car meet or racing starts near you, report it straight away. The force said fast reports let officers “respond in a timely manner and catch them in the act.”

  • Call 999 if racing or dangerous driving is happening now and someone could be hurt.
  • Otherwise call 101 or use the Kent Police online reporting service.
  • Note the road, the time and any registration numbers you can see safely. Do not approach the drivers.

The statement quoted an officer saying the warnings “should kerb that behaviour with the threat of fines or legal action if the behaviour persists.” The force’s published statement does not name the officer.

The council is separately consulting on renewing the town centre PSPO. That order took effect on 1 February 2024 for three years. We covered that survey in our town centre masterplan story. For local road closures this week, see our Dartford roadworks page.