A tense hour-long stand off with police ended peacefully on Sunday night after more than 80 "boy-racers" turned Valley Park into a racing circuit.

At one point officers were heavily outnumbered and had to radio for back up, fearing the situation would escalate.

Croydon police spokesman Nick Kemp told the Guardian: "They got together in a group of about 80 and all turned up at Valley Park. It ended up as a confrontation with the police. We were massively outnumbered."

The racers were wheel spinning and skidding their cars in the car park outside Boots and generally causing a nuisance.

Police confirmed that 24 officers were on the scene and one police car was damaged. No arrests were made.

As extra officers were drafted in from all over the south east London area, the group of more than 20 cars, believed to have made their way up from Brighton on the M23/A23, dispersed.

Nick Kemp said: "This is the first time this group have come up to our neck of the woods.

"What can you do - all they were doing was minor traffic offences."

There were also complaints as the travelling convoy stopped off at petrol stations on their way back down the A23.

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