CAR enthusiasts have hit back at claims they are out to cause a nuisance after a number of drivers were reported to the police for using a town centre car park as a race track.

Colchester Council has issued warning letters to the drivers who race round St Mary's car park, of Balkerne Hill.

The cars' registration numbers have also been sent to Essex Police.

But some enthusiasts are concerned about being tarred with the same brush.

Richard Swain, 20, said his friends do use St Mary’s to socialise in but do not aim to cause a nuisance.

Neither he nor his friends have been sent the warning letters.

The sales assistant said: “The younger generation gets tarnished as being the the bad guy when in reality we are just up there having a chat and socialising."

Mr Swain, who lives in Colchester, also said his group had previously wrongly been moved on by police after a car from another group was heard racing around the other levels.

He added: "There are people who do stupid things but it's not all of us.

"We go into the car park, buy tickets and we just chat and socialise.

"We don't want to cause a nuisance or annoy people.

"It's the same when we go to meets elsewhere.

"There are people being stupid and doing donuts but we don't know them and we don't want them.

"It's frustrating that we're all tarred with the same brush."