RESIDENTS plagued by late-night louts using a Blackpool car park as a race-track have won their fight for a barrier.

For three years, neighbours near the Apollo 2000 electrical store's car park in Talbot Road have endured young drivers screeching brakes, revving engines, shouting abuse and playing stereos until the early hours.

Finally, tomorrow (April 24), after pressure from Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden, Apollo's landlords, United Norwest Co-op, are due put up a lockable barrier, preventing access at night.

Resident Edwina Toner, who lives in flats opposite the car park, said: "I'm delighted at long last they've taken notice of our problems.

"I'd like to thank Gordon Marsden, because without his help we were up against a barrier ourselves - nobody wanted to know before he came along.

"I also want to thank the police, because whatever time we called them, no matter how many times a night, they were always there in minutes."

However, she added, she now hoped speed cameras would be put up on Talbot Road: "The drivers were using the car park as a meeting place to go racing down Talbot Road," she said.

"Last week I saw four cars racing each other towards Grange Park.

"Two lads were hanging out of a back window, clinging on to the roof. The problem is it's usually an innocent bystander who gets killed."

Though Apollo shuts at night, the car park is still used as a night-time overspill by nearby Mecca Bingo.

A United Norwest Co-op spokesman said: "Access will be worked out so that it's open when there are other activities on the site, and then locked, so there should not be a problem any more."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.