Tyre marks at the intersection of Old Coach Rd and Pongakawa Station Rd, a regular meeting place for large groups of boy racers.
Burnouts, boy racers and bottles are causing headaches for Pongakawa residents living close to one particular intersection on Old Coach Rd.
Local resident Kelsea Symes organised a meeting for the community last week, inviting Western Bay of Plenty district councillors and Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter of the Western Bay road police.
In a letter to councillors she said she hoped they would be able to help restore the community to a safe and peaceful place to live once more.
She said the intersection of Old Coach Rd and Pongakawa Station Rd was a popular corner with boy racers to gather and had been for generations.
''Over more recent years these gathering have escalated from what some may have considered as 'a bit of harmless fun' to what can only be described as out-of-control congregations of drunk car enthusiasts numbering in their hundreds''.
She said she no longer feels safe in her home when the gatherings are on.
''One night when one of these car meets had attracted a large crowd, I had groups of people accumulated on my lawn. I went outside to ask them to move on and was met with the cocky response that they will do as they please and that I can call the police but there is nothing the police can do about it anyway.
''The next morning, I had to clean up human faeces off my lawn, complete with napkins that had been used as toilet paper, along with used condoms and even a used tampon. After speaking to neighbours, I discovered that this is a common occurrence on the properties that are closest to the intersection.
''The more noticeable mess which is left behind most weekends is the rubber and bits of blown tyres strewn over the road, uprooted road signs, alcohol bottles and cans and takeaway wrappers up and down the roadsides.''
At the meeting local resident Kim McIntosh spoke after two videos taken from a dash cam of a truck driving through the intersection at times when people were gathered there were shown.
He said modifications to the intersection made several decades ago had made it attractive for burnouts.
He said the gatherings started 20 to 25 years ago.
''It started off as a few cars doing a few burnouts,'' he said. ''But now it's gone past doing some skids, it's an event.''
Kim said it seemed there was nothing to stop the events, but that it was time they were moved from Pongakawa.
He said despite calls to the police and the efforts the police make, they just end up chasing them somewhere else ''without achieving anything''.
''A lot of people are getting angry and it could turn ugly,'' he said.
Other speakers talked about intimidation, rubbish, damaged signs, being insulted and fear of retribution.
Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter said when he is working as shift commander he has a staff of 10 to cover the whole of the Western Bay of Plenty and can't afford to send three or four staff to a burnout when, as soon as police are on the way it is communicated to those gathered and they move on.
He said there are other gathering places and police can just end up ''following them around''.
''So there's also a time issue.''
He said there was also very little the police could do to control the gatherings.
''If they are parked by the side of the road we can't do anything except check if they have registration etc and issue tickets which they won't pay.''
In her letter Kelsea said she would like to propose changes to the intersection that would make it unusable as a ''skid pad'' and hopefully deter the boy racers.
Councillors John Scrimgeour and Kevin Marsh said they were both well aware of the situation.
John said if residents had suggestions, they should be sent to the council and residents might consider speaking at the council's policy and monitoring committee, saying they have concerns.
''That could be the only way something will happen,'' said Kevin. ''I'd say it's up to John and I to try and get the corner altered to get rid of these thugs out of it.''
Putting up cameras was also suggested and Wayne said if video evidence was provided and a car identified by its number plate then it might be possible to impound the car.
''They hate that,'' he said, but added it still might not be possible to prosecute the driver unless there was proof of who was behind the wheel.