Boy - and girl - racers have been tearing around Ashford with music blaring, "drifting" like rally drivers.

That is the warning from police, after residents complained about loud music, exhausts and drivers racing each other on the town's busy A2070 dual carriageway.

The Bad Munstereifel Road, between junction 10 of the M20 and the roundabout for Romney Marsh Road, is said to be a hot-spot.

The reckless motorists have also been spotted drifting, a technique thought to have developed in Japan in the 1970s where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing the back wheels to lose grip.

Two people, a man and a woman, have been in trouble with officers in the past few weeks for taking part in the craze.

Sergeant Adam Spain said: "Illegal street-racing and 'drifting' is putting the drivers' own lives and the lives of other road users at risk and the noise causes a nuisance to local residents.

"This anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and my officers have been briefed about the problems and will deal firmly with any drivers who break the law.

"Just last week an off-duty police officer witnessed a driver 'drifting' at a roundabout.

"He has since been tracked down and issued with a Section 59 notice, which is an official warning that if he drives the car in an anti-social manner again it will be seized.

"This anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and my officers will deal firmly with any drivers who break the law..." - Sergeant Adam Spain

"It's not just boys either! On Thursday night we responded to calls about a car in Kingsnorth Road driving in an anti-social manner.

"The driver was a 17-year-old girl who was driving with no insurance and only had a provisional licence. The car was seized and the driver will be summonsed for the alleged offences.

"These drivers often use vehicles that have had their transmission, exhausts, wheels and suspension modified.

"There is a legal requirement for drivers to notify their insurance companies of such modifications to ensure the insurance remains valid.

"Therefore the other danger is, many of these drivers may not be properly insured."

Witnesses can report illegal street-racing or anti-social behaviour to Kent Police on 101, if possible noting the car make, model and registration number to help officers to identify potential suspects.