THIS is the shocking moment masked yobs in 4x4s churn up fields after a town was terrorised by a group who ripped up gardens and set vehicles on fire.
Cars ploughed through pastures on the outskirts of Manea, Cambridgeshire, in the video filmed by one vehicle’s passenger.
BAV MediaShocking footage showed a number of 4x4s ploughing through fields near Manea, Cambridgeshire[/caption]
BAV MediaThe vehicles were seen racing through the farmland, kicking up dirt and leaving numerous tyre tracks[/caption]
BAV MediaThe video ends with the group of yobs meeting up with more muddied vehicles[/caption]
Footage shows the convoy of countless muddied vehicles racing through the fields while shouting to each other through open windows.
Expensive Mercedes SUVs, Jeeps, and Nissans were among the 4x4s that were shown churning up crops and damaging the fields.
One passenger can be seen raising his arm out of one of the racing motors as the deafening sound of air rushing past the car is picked up on the recording.
Around halfway through the clip when the drivers can be seen making a large turn onto a local road, the extent of damage to the fields becomes clear.
Tyre tracks can be seen overlapping each other on the farmland, with mud strewn across both the grassy banks of the roadside and the vehicles themselves.
The balaclava wearing group kept their identities hidden as they raced away, causing mayhem in the peaceful countryside around 20 miles north of Cambridge.
After seemingly competing with each other to get in front, the group of yobs met up with almost a dozen more dirtied vehicles at the end of the video.
Engines revving, the motors then begin to travel together as a group as the footage cuts off.
It comes after “travellers” were accused of terrorising a town just five miles away from Manea by ripping up gardens, setting cars on fire and raiding shops.
Around 300 people attended a public meeting on Monday night to complain over police inaction after they were left “terrified” by a weekend of “shocking” criminal activity, which also saw the group of men allegedly threaten firefighters.
A convoy of up to 30 cars carrying dozens of men, one with a pick axe handle, are said to have tore around in the Cambridgeshire Fens on Saturday.
They allegedly ripped up farmers’ fields, ruining crops, sped through villages and intimidated the locals, who have been left “traumatised”.
The men also damaged fire engines and attacked fire crew, who were taking part in a training exercise in Chatteris – with Cambridgeshire Police “ignoring” all 999 calls.
Farmers and residents gave harrowing stories at the meeting at Manea British Legion Club, which was called by MP Steve Barclay and Manea councillor Charlie Marks.
It was attended by Cambridgeshire’s Chief Constable Nick Dean, who heard from dozens of residents, who said they had been left unprotected despite making 999 calls for help.
‘SOMEBODY’S GOT TO CONFRONT THESE PEOPLE’
One resident told police they needed to improve their response in the future, warning: “You get this wrong and you will have another Tony Martin on your hands.”
Martin was a farmer from Norfolk, England, who shot a burglar dead in his home in August 1999.
Farmer Matthew Latter, from Sutton Gault, Chatteris, said he was forced to barricade himself and his young family in their home after more than 70 masked men smashed their way through gates, and moved concrete blocks to access his land.
He said they suffered three-and-a-half hours of mayhem on the land around their home as he made numerous calls to police.
He added: “We had at least 70 people literally take over our farm from 1.30pm to 4pm. There were 13 4x4s.
“I called the police three times, I gave the What3Words coordinates of exactly where they were but we didn’t have any response – absolutely zero.
“My seven-year-old daughter was crying and was utterly terrified.”
SWNSMatthew Latter said he was forced to barricade himself and his young family in their home after more than 70 masked men ‘took over’ his farm[/caption]
Bav MediaAround 300 people attended a public meeting on Monday night to complain about police inaction[/caption]
Another woman said she called 999 as the petrol station at Witcham Toll was being robbed, but was told to call back on 101 as it was not an emergency.
Leo Butler, from Chatteris, said he had never seen anything like it and added: “What I would like to know is where were the police – there were no helicopters, no police cars, not one police officer – nothing.
“If the police aren’t going to confront these people somebody’s got to.”
Robert Sears, a former Conservative councillor, added “I haven’t seen lawlessness like this anywhere in the world” after he was confronted by 25 muddy 4x4s driving towards him.
Councillor Marks, who witnessed some of the criminality in Manea, said it was pure luck that no one had been killed or seriously injured.
“We could have been mourning a member of our village today,” he said.
The lawless activity began in Wimblington, then the cars zoomed around the Fens, with vehicles mounting pavements and speeding at more than twice the limit in 30mph zones.
Chief Constable Dean told the meeting he had gone with his “gut feeling” over the allocation of extra resources and commented that he “perhaps got it wrong in hindsight”.
A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: “We are appealing for information, dashcam footage or CCTV following a number of incidents of hare coursing, yesterday causing thousands of pounds’ worth of damage to crops as well as putting lives at risk with dangerous driving.
“Up to 25 vehicles were seen, some in convoy, in various parts of the county, these included Fordham, Ely, Prickwillow, Littleport, Welney, Chatteris, Manea, Wimblington and Doddington.
“We understand the impact this has had on the community and we are investigating.”
SWNSHertfordshire Police are looking to speak to several men after the incidents, pictured here[/caption]
Bav MediaOne of the car’s involved in the lawless weekend incident was left in a ditch[/caption]
Bav MediaAnother was towed away near March in Cambridgeshire[/caption]
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