A new poll has revealed that more than half of drivers want noise detecting cameras installed across the UK in a bid to stop “boy racers”.
After a £300,000 trial of the specialist technology – which involves using a camera and several microphones to detect noisy vehicles – was introduced by the Department for Transport (DfT) in a small number of areas in England last year, a new survey by The RAC has now revealed that 58% of motorists would like to see these cameras rolled out right across the UK.
Only 22% of the 1,424 motorists polled were against the idea.
More than a third (34%) of drivers surveyed also said they heard revving engines or “excessively loud exhausts” regularly, according to The RAC.
The results from The RAC’s survey come after recent research has shown that road noise can contribute to a range of concerning health problems – including heart attacks, strokes, and dementia to name just a few.
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Have you heard of 'noise cameras'? 👂
6 in 10 drivers told us they would be in favour of their rollout to catch excessively loud vehicles 🔊
But how exactly do the cameras work? And what would motorists need to watch out for should they be introduced on a wider scale? Well, to sum it up briefly, the technology works by the camera recording an image of the vehicle and detecting its noise level to create evidence that police can use to issue fines.
At the moment here in England, vehicle exhausts and silencers are required to be properly maintained by law, and not altered to increase noise.
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Failure to comply with this law can lead to a £50 fine being issued on the spot.
The RAC says the results from its latest survey proves there is “a very strong desire” to clamp down on the “scourge of excessively noisy vehicles” that “disturb the peace” nationwide.
“It’s plain wrong that those who have fitted their cars with modified exhausts, some motorbike riders and supercar owners can currently just get away with making an unacceptable amount of noise,” explained The RAC’s Head of Policy, Simon Williams.
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Over half of drivers want noise detecting cameras installed across UK to stop ‘boy racers’ / Credit: RAC
“Fortunately, the Department for Transport’s recent noise camera trials may provide the solution [and] we hope the findings are positive and that the technology can be quickly and cost-efficiently rolled out to the worst affected areas [as] there is no good reason why cars and motorbikes should make so much noise.
“The sooner effective camera enforcement can be put in place the better.”
Roads minister Richard Holden claimed “boy racers are an anti-social menace” as praised the specialist technology and welcomed the results from The RAC’s new poll – adding that the Government “extensively trialled” noise camera technology in various parts of the country over the past year.
He said the DfT is “currently analysing data” from the trials and will update “in due course” on any future measures.
Mr Holden said the cameras will help “bring peace and tranquillity back to our towns, cities and villages”.
Featured Image – RAC
News
Glitzy Manchester restaurant KAJI has quietly shut down
Daisy Jackson
A glamorous Manchester restaurant famed for its Japanese cooking and sushi has quietly closed its doors for good, it seems.
KAJI, on Bridge Street, has pulled table reservations and repossession notices have been stuck into its windows.
The glitzy, futuristic restaurant made a pretty big impact on the city’s dining scene since opening in 2022 – but not always for the right reasons.
It first launched as MUSU, and hit headlines when vandals smashed the windows and threw paint all over the restaurant space in the middle of a busy Valentine’s Day service.
It attracted other famous faces too, including Man City boss Pep Guardiola, and Jason Derulo.
Then in 2024, the restaurant rebranded to KAJI, promising dishes cooked over fire in ‘homage to ancient Japanese cooking techniques’.
And last year it received a review in The Telegraph, where William Sitwell said that KAJI was ‘all tummies, bald heads, tattoos and heat’, describing the experience of eating there as ‘brash (and pricey) torture’.
KAJINotices in the windows of KAJI
But now, it appears the business – which launched a new menu concept just weeks ago – has oh-so-quietly shut its doors for good.
When you try to book a table, no availability is showing.
And walking past its glamorous Bridge Street location now, you can see repossession notices have been displayed in the windows.
It appears that the landlords of the building took possession way back on 10 April – and KAJI has been silent on social media ever since.
‘Prolific’ burglar jailed following crime spree with dozens of incidents across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed following a four-week crime spree in Greater Manchester.
Callum Daniels, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 29 April 2026), after previously pleading guilty to 19 offences committed over a four‑week period between December 2025 and January 2026, primarily in the Ashton-under‑Lyne and Audenshaw areas of Tameside.
His sentencing comes after an investigation, led by officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Tameside Neighbourhood Crime Team, linked Daniels to dozens of offences – including burglaries of homes and business, attempted burglaries, and thefts from vehicles.
In late December of last year (19 December 2025), Daniels broke into a business on Stockport Road by gaining access through the roof and stealing goods.
He later targeted another premises on two separate occasions, forcing entry and stealing cash, alcohol, and cigarettes, and then in January 2026, he targeted properties in Ashton where he attempted to force doors, searched vehicles, and in one case, even entered a family home while the occupants slept upstairs, and proceeded to steal high‑value items like laptops, a games console, and bank cards.
Police trawled through CCTV footage, clothing comparisons, and recovered stolen property that linked Daniels to the offences, before he was subsequently arrested on 20 January 2026.
Daniels was sentenced and jailed for five years this week.
Speaking following Daniels’ sentencing, Sergeant Playford, of GMPs’ Tameside Neighbourhood Team, said: “Callum Daniels carried out a sustained series of offences which caused fear and disruption across several communities. His actions showed a clear pattern of targeting homes and vehicles during the night, regardless of the impact on victims.
“In total, more than 20 victims across Tameside were impacted, with losses including cash, personal belongings, household items and damage to properties.