Fed-up residents say they are plagued by the noise of boy racers meeting in a supermarket car park – and more needs to be done to stop them.

People living near Tesco Extra in Gillingham say the problem has been going on for many years – and it is getting worse.

They are kept awake on Friday and Saturday nights by the sounds of tyres screeching and engines revving in the car park and cars racing around the roundabout and along Courteney Road.

Two weekends ago there were more than 50 cars at an informal meet, prompting police to issue a dispersal order.

One woman, who did not want to be named, said: "You lay there at night listening to it and you worry a car is going to crash through the front of your house.

"We call the police all the time, occasionally they come out but they [the boy racers] see the blue lights and disappear.

"The noise in the summer is a nightmare. I have lived here six years and it has been going on for as long as I've lived here. "

Robert Curzon, who lives near the superstore, said: "It is so loud you have to shut your windows and then you can still hear it with the windows shut.

"It is definitely worse in the summer months, they seem to gather more often. You can hear them screeching around the car park and the engines revving. It can go on until 1am.

"It has been worse it recent years, and it seems to start earlier in the year."

Pensioner Mollie Rogers said: "I have lived here 33 years and it gets worse every year. The noise stops you sleeping. The police need to do more about it."

Over the weekend Kent Police placed several dispersal zones across Medway to clamp down on anti-social behaviour and nuisance vehicles – this included the area around Tesco in Gillingham, as well as Hoo and the Medway City Estate in Strood.

The dispersal order, which covered both the Tesco and Dobbies Garden Centre car parks and Courteney Road, authorised police to stop anyone involved in anti-social behaviour.

Officers could move them on from the area, issue Community Protection warnings or go as far as seizing vehicles.

Sergeant Steve Holpin, from the Medway Community Safety Unit, said: "These actions are having a big impact on the community and we will not allow it to continue. Those who persistently cause a nuisance risk having their vehicles seized.

"As always, we will work with our partners and local businesses to share information to find a solution."

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: "I think because the dispersal order was in place, they just gathered at the business park instead.

"Police need to take more action. A dispersal order over one weekend isn't enough. They will just come back. We know it will be worse over the summer, it always is."

Several dispersal zones have been put in place for the Medway City Estate, with the most recent one being issued in March.

Sgt Holpin said so far this year, the force has received 80 calls from people about nuisance behaviour on the business estate.

"You lay there at night listening to it and you worry a car is going to crash through the front of your house."

He added: "These actions are having a big impact on the community and those who persistently cause a nuisance risk having their vehicles seized.

"We will continue to implement dispersal orders in this area throughout March and April to tackle the issue."

The Medway City Estate has always been a popular spot for drivers to show off their vehicles and race each other.

In May 2019 emergency services were called to an incident in Sir Thomas Longley Road – a main road on the estate – following reports of a collision involving four vehicles, two of which caught fire.

One local resident said she can hear the boy racers, who congregate on Friday and Saturday evenings, from her home in Frindsbury, and is terrified there will be a crash.

She added: "You can tell how fast they are going and then you can hear them skidding."