A 20-year-old street racer's car has been cut up by firefighters after police clocked him speeding at 85mph on the A38 Sutton Coldfield Bypass. The Seat Ibiza was seized by West Midlands Police following dashcam footage of the offence on August 30 last year.
The driver admitted dangerous driving at Birmingham Crown Court on March 17 and was banned from driving for 12 months. The judge issued a deprivation order, giving police ownership of the vehicle.
West Midlands Police handed the car to firefighter colleagues at Binley Fire Station in Coventry for a training exercise, where its roof was cut off and the vehicle destroyed for training purposes.
The conviction is one of 100 secured by Operation Hercules, a team tackling street racing across the West Midlands, since January 2025. Sergeant Ade Brown from Operation Hercules said: 'We have successfully convicted 100 motorists since January 2025 for contravening the laws on our roads. We need motorists to understand we won't tolerate illegal street racing or cruising on the region's roads and will take action against motorists who flout the law and put other road users at risk.'
'Our ultimate aim is to keep people safe. People have been killed and seriously injured while street racing, and it's simply unacceptable to put other motorists and pedestrians at risk in such a reckless way. We work closely with our partners on a range of tactics to identify, disrupt and enforce against those taking part or gathering to observe it. Our priority is keeping the roads safe for all.'
