Additional reporting by Charlotte Howard

Boy racers sounding horns until the early hours are making living near a cinema a "total nightmare", say furious residents.

Drivers are keeping people up every night by gathering in an overflow car park behind Ashford's Cineworld on Eureka Leisure Park.

Videos taken by one resident capture the "horrendous" noise as drivers are heard honking horns and revving engines.

Terrified neighbours fearing retribution from the yobs would only speak to KentOnline on condition of anonymity.

“On a Wednesday, there might be loads of revving, on a Thursday they might hit their horns continuously – it is ridiculous,” one Bockhanger resident said.

“They do donuts as late as 1am or 2am. On Saturday I called the police at 3am after they were playing drum and bass music.

"They have no respect – you cannot just go up to them and ask them to tone it down after 11pm because they would just kick off.

“I feel like the police turn a blind eye to it because it is private property. When I report it, I feel like giving up because of the response.”

Owners of the site say car meets are prohibited – but neighbours say not enough action is being taken to stop them.

One couple living in Bockhanger told KentOnline how the noise often wakes up their children.

“It is a total nightmare and very unsettling, especially when it is late at night and into the early hours,” they said.

"This has kept us up before and can wake up our son when he has his windows open, which then causes tiredness the next day at work and school.

“I think there needs to be a barrier to eradicate the problem. There should be no access to the car park once the cinema has closed its doors for the night.”

Another resident agreed, saying the “really loud” music makes it impossible to sleep.

“I do not mind a bit of music, but not at 1.30am – especially now we have the windows open because of the heat,” they said.

“Sometimes you can hear them shouting too. It is rather annoying.

“At the back of the house, we do not hear a thing but in the bedroom we can hear it. When you are trying to get to sleep it is not ideal.

“They may disappear for a while but then you are woken back up by the noise. It is quite a nuisance really.”

Cllr Diccon Spain (Lab), who represents the Bockhanger ward on Ashford Borough Council, says residents now fear walking near the car park, which is off Rutherford Road.

"Members of the public who walk through this car park to use the zig-zag path behind the cinema are concerned for the safety of themselves and their families, and are worried that they could either be seriously injured or be killed,” he said.

"My understanding is that Eureka Park managers have alerted the police previously and some enforcement has happened in the past, but the fact that this issue seems to be continuing, and has not been resolved, suggests to me that we need more concerted and robust action by the police to get this sorted.”

A police spokesman said officers understand the impact nuisance vehicles can have on residents, and officers regularly issue warnings to drivers that their cars can be seized if driven in an anti-social manner.

"Ashford’s neighbourhood beat team has been made aware of concerns relating to vehicles in the Rutherford Road area and will take action where appropriate," they said.

“So that we have the best possible information available to us, we urge residents to report incidents through the Kent Police website, or by calling 999 if a crime is in progress.”

A spokesman for Savills, the company which runs Eureka Leisure Park, said it is "aware of the ongoing issue with car meet-ups onsite and across the wider Ashford area".

They added: "We are actively working with local authorities to prevent such events taking place.

“We work hard to deliver a safe and friendly environment for our customers and the surrounding community.

"Car meets are prohibited at Eureka Leisure Park."