Tim Lord

DRIVERS in Soho and Mayfair may soon be penalised for loudly revving their engines and racing under plans to expand a PSPO, public space protection order.

The proposal, currently with the city council’s cabinet, is to extend the use of the orders following a public consultation.

PSPOs, which grant the council and police greater powers to hand out fines for low-level crimes, are in place in St James’s ward, and Knightsbridge and Belgravia following a decision in 2021.

But Westminster City Council wants to expand to include Mayfair and Soho following complaints about anti-social drivers and motorbikes.

Chair of the Soho Society Tim Lord said the organisation is “very supportive” of the proposal. “We have had a spate of motorbike racing late at night in Soho which appears to be dangerous and is quite incomprehensibly loud and frightening for visitors, residents. and businesses,” he said.

Mr Lord added that a key issue will be for the police to successfully hire more officers for the West End.

Conservative West End councillor Tim Barnes is also among those to show his support for the plans.

Max Sullivan

The council says it has handed out more than 350 FPNs, fixed penalty notices, for breaches of the PSPO since 2022, many for illegal car meets on Exhibition Road in the west of the borough.

According to a council report: “The impact of this behaviour is a growing concern for the public, local businesses, and the council. Tyre burnouts leave lasting skid marks on road surfaces, contributing to the visual deterioration of a high-profile retail area and necessitating more frequent resurfacing at a cost to the council and its partners.”

The New West End Company business partnership provided data indicating between April 2023 and June 2025 there were 33 reported car meets on New Bond Street, with the Metropolitan Police called on 25 of those occasions and vehicles deployed on 14.

The city council’s cabinet member for streets Cllr Max Sullivan said: “Illegal and dangerous driving is a blight on our streets, putting lives at risk and disrupting people going about their days and evenings in our city.

“We are working directly with the Metropolitan Police to tackle illegal car meets head-on, aided by the recruitment of 80 new local police officers, and the council’s new high-spec CCTV network and bolstered team of city inspectors.

“The recent seizure of dozens of uninsured vehicles is a testament to our combined efforts, and we will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to keeping our communities safe and free to enjoy our city.”