JOYRIDERS who use York and North Yorkshire streets, car parks and public footpaths as racetracks could have their vehicles seized on the spot.

Police have been given tough new powers to confiscate cars and motorbikes from so-called "boy racers" who are caught driving carelessly or inconsiderately.

Under new Home Office legislation, patrolling police officers will now be allowed to seize cars immediately.

Motorists will be forced to pay up to £350 to retrieve their vehicles.

Home Office Minister John Denham said: "Joyriding and anti-social use of cars and motorbikes blight local communities, causing misery and distress to people going about their daily lives. We are determined to deal with this growing problem.

"Giving police and community support officers radical new powers to seizevehicles being driven recklessly on roads, public footpaths, parks and housing estates will put an immediate stop to dangerous and intimidating behaviour."

The new legislation, part of the Police Reform Act 2002, came into force last week.

Police will also be given powers to confiscate vehicles driven off-road, for instance on wasteland or in parks, in an "alarming, annoying or distressing" manner.

Car and motorbike owners will not have to pay a fee to recover their vehicles if they are not the driver or could not have prevented the vehicle being driven dangerously.

Last month, Home Secretary David Blunkett gave community support officers powers to remove broken-down, illegally parked or abandoned vehicles from the roadside.

Updated: 10:01 Wednesday, January 08, 2003