BOY racers making people's lives a misery by tearing through the streets on Portland are being given the boot.

Anti-social driving was recently identified by residents as the number one priority for the island's Partners and Community Together (PACT) scheme.

Bosses say extra road policing units recently introduced on Portland are successfully dealing with the problem.

Police community support officer Lynne Huckins said: "We were having a lot of trouble with boy racers tearing through the streets.

"They were driving off-road, doing handbrake turns. It's been a big issue on the island.

"But we've had extra road policing units on Portland and lots of section 59 orders have been handed out.

"Officers have also seized a number of vehicles as well."

Other top priorities identified at the last Portland PACT meetings were problems with contacting police on the island and Class A drug dealing from a particular address.

PCSO Huckins said: "People have been struggling to get through and facing delays when using the police contact telephone number.

"We've passed on residents' complaints. We can't deal with it ourselves but we've made our representations.

"As for the drug problems, we've investigated and the person who was suspected of dealing no longer lives at that address."

PCSO Huckins revealed a gang of youths are being dealt with in connection with recent graffiti problems on Portland. And she said bosses are delighted that anti-social behaviour - once the biggest issue for islanders - has now dropped to number four on the PACT priority list.

The next Portland PACT street corner meeting for the Underhill area is on July 24, from 12pm until 2pm in the layby next to the gateway to Portland.

And the next meetings for Weston are in Weston Road from 3pm until 5pm and Easton Square from 6pm until 8pm on July 27.