Kent Police Issue Almost 50 Fines in One Night at Medway Car Meets

The fines were issued under Medway Council’s nuisance vehicle Public Space Protection Order, which came into force in June 2026 and applies across the entire Medway authority area. The PSPO carries a fixed penalty of £100 per infringement, according to Medway Council. Drivers who do not pay or comply with the order may face prosecution and higher fines on conviction in court.

The Powers Behind the Fines

Medway Council introduced the nuisance vehicle PSPO following a period of consultation, citing ongoing complaints from residents about noise, speeding and vehicle gatherings in public spaces including car parks and industrial estates. The order targets behaviours such as revving engines, playing loud music, racing and congregating in a manner that causes harassment, alarm or distress to others.

The PSPO draws on powers available to local authorities in England under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which allows councils to restrict specified anti-social behaviours in defined public areas. Medway Council states the order is intended to address conduct that may fall short of criminal thresholds under road traffic law but still causes persistent nuisance to residents.

The order sits alongside existing police powers to deal with dangerous or careless driving, speeding and public order offences. Kent Police retains its own enforcement tools independently of the council order.

Medway’s Wider Enforcement Record

Medway Council issued more than 220,000 fines of various types — covering parking, traffic, littering and other sanctions — between April 2022 and September 2024, according to data reported by BBC News. Of those, over 64,000, around 30 per cent of the total, remained unpaid. The council’s estimated population was 282,702 in 2022, according to Medway Council’s own figures.

The nuisance vehicle PSPO is a separate and more recent measure. Its introduction may also influence other local authorities in Kent when considering whether to adopt equivalent orders to address car cruising and anti-social driving in their own areas, though no other Kent council has announced comparable plans at this stage.

Differing Views on the Order

Medway Council and Kent Police have both described the PSPO and the 20 June enforcement operation as measures necessary to protect residents from persistent nuisance and safety risks associated with unauthorised car meets. Some motoring enthusiasts and commentators nationally have raised concerns that PSPOs of this kind can be drawn too broadly, and have argued that enforcement should focus on genuinely dangerous driving rather than car gatherings as a whole. Some car enthusiasts have called for the provision of designated, managed spaces where legal meets can take place without causing disturbance to residents. Those views reflect a broader national debate about the use of PSPOs and are not specific claims made by named individuals in Medway.

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Key Takeaways

• Kent Police issued almost 50 fines in a single night after dispersing two car meets in Medway on 20 June 2026, following reports of speeding, racing and excess noise on public roads.
• The fines were issued under Medway Council’s nuisance vehicle Public Space Protection Order, which came into force in June 2026 and carries a fixed penalty of £100, with potential court action for non-compliance.
• The PSPO applies across the whole Medway authority area and targets behaviours including engine revving, loud music, racing and congregating in public spaces in a manner that causes harassment, alarm or distress.

What This Means for Kent Residents

Residents living near car meet locations in Medway — including in Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham — can report nuisance vehicle incidents to Kent Police via the non-emergency 101 number, or directly to Medway Council through its dedicated nuisance vehicle reporting channels. When making a report, Medway Council advises providing specific details of the location, vehicle and behaviour involved so as to support enforcement action. Drivers attending car meets anywhere within the Medway authority area should be aware that behaviour causing nuisance — even where it does not amount to a criminal driving offence — may result in a £100 fixed penalty under the PSPO, with the possibility of prosecution and higher fines if the matter proceeds to court.