A group of car enthusiasts who meet up to enjoy and share their vehicles have launched a staunch defence of their hobby after a spate of complaints over ‘boy racers’.

Councillors and residents earlier spoke about 'antisocial vehicle use’ in Crossways Business Park in Greenhithe, including speeding and drifting on roundabouts in nearby Crossways Boulevard.

Police regularly patrol the area to deal with such issues, but members of a car club which regularly meets at Crossways have insisted that it is a small minority giving them a bad reputation.

Luke Eastwood, of The Brent, Dartford, said he and his friends had “no affiliation” with those who have been criticised for noisy and dangerous driving late into the night.

“I am not denying that there are youngsters out there who have just done their test that do go out and cause a nuisance,” he said.

“There are two sides of the car scene. We do not have any affiliation with these troublemakers. We are not all boy racers or street racers.

"We’re not doing donuts or causing a nuisance, but there are a minority that spoil it for us.

“We spend thousands and thousands on our cars now and we don’t understand why people have to go out and do things like that.

"It takes up police resources that could be spent elsewhere.

“I do feel for the residents because we have it as well down where I live, but on the flip side of it there are true enthusiasts that do like to meet, that are quiet, and that do respect the residents.”

In addition to Crossways, the club has also met at a multi-storey car park in Cory’s Road, Rochester, where a gathering of drivers a fortnight ago came under fire from the Mayor of Medway, Cllr Stuart Tranter, for creating a “scary atmosphere”.

Just a week prior, residents near Crossways spoke of how anti-social driving in the area was keeping them up at night, and their fears that it could lead to a serious accident.

One local, of Charles Street, said: “When you’ve got a car screeching and you’re sitting in bed, you want to go to sleep and you can’t.

“You’ve got that going on at 2am and it interrupts your sleep and it has an effect on your life.”

He was one of more than 20 people to get in touch with Cllr Peter Harman, county councillor for Greenhithe, and emails were sent to Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott.

Cllr Harman has subsequently met with police and officers from Dartford council, and raised the issue at a meeting of Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour & Crime Sub-Committee a few weeks ago.

Despite the perception many people have of the car meets, Mr Eastwood, who works for the DVLA, said his London and Southeast Ford ST Owners Club had the full support of police and the owners of the land they meet on.

He continued: “For our meets we go to landowners, ask permission, we even pay for the use of the premises. That’s what we do as true enthusiasts.

“We don’t just turn up to cause a nuisance.

“When we want to do donuts and drifting and things like that we go to a controlled environment, like Silverstone for example.”

The club’s meets are focused on discussion of the vehicles, with members comparing their motors and the modifications they have made to them.

Full written permission is gained from the landowners before the meetings take place, and officers from the Kent Police Community Unit often attend.

“Our club is a family and we want people to understand and help them to understand,” said Mr Eastwood.

“We don’t do it to annoy people, it’s just a way of life.”