LONG-suffering residents have told how nuisance drivers doing noisy "donuts" have made their lives a misery.

People living in Bridgestone Drive, Bourne End, have been disturbed late at night for months by motorists revving their engines and performing hand brake wheel spins or donuts in Dukes Meadow Industrial Park, Bourne End, after 10pm.

Last month the Free Press reported how on July 14, a man carrying an axe approached one of the nuisance drivers and threatened to cut off his head. The man also tapped the butt of his axe to the driver's mouth and drove his axe through the rear window of another of the drivers' cars.

No one was injured in the incident and at the time, the investigating officer PC Richard Hobson, said he thought the offender was probably a resident, who was annoyed with people wheel spinning close to his home.

Residents say the problem is still ongoing.

An IT professional, who did not want to be named, of Bridgestone Drive said: "The disturbances have definitely got worse in the last year. If there was more of a community here perhaps we could deal with the problem en masse."

Lawrence Newall, 24, of Bridgestone Drive, said: "Some nights you hear them using this as a drag strip. At some points I've considered going over there, not with an axe though as that's probably not the most diplomatic way of doing it."

The residents agreed, however, that the lack of a visible police presence around the industrial estate at night was contributing to the area's problems.

A spokesman forThames Valley Police said: "A new police officer opened in Bourne End at the beginning of July. The visibility of officers and police vehicles in the area is continuing to increase as a result. Anyone with an issue about Bourne End policing should contact PC Jimal Badshah or area sergeant PC Jon Taylor on 08458 505 505."

Victoria Fox