Two “senseless” street racers who tore along a Birmingham road at more than twice the speed limit in torrential rain have narrowly avoided jail after admitting breaching the city-wide Car Cruising Injunction.

Skoda Fabia driver Zulfikar Ahmed-Baig and Christopher Hudson, who was behind the wheel of a VW Golf, were spotted by West Midlands Police traffic cops jostling for position and racing on the A47 Heartlands Parkway on Sunday night (11 March).

At one point the pair reached speeds of almost 90mph in the 40-zone despite standing water across much of the carriageway and limited visibility from spray thrown up by vehicles.

Ahmed-Baig (25), from Malthouse Gardens in Lozells, and 26-year-old Hudson, from Station Road, Marston Green, were both pulled over and charged with breaching the injunction which bans racing, unauthorised vehicle rallies and anti-social motoring. They both spent a night in police custody and appeared at Birmingham County Court yesterday where they were handed six-month suspended jail sentences.

The High Court order spans all of Birmingham and covers wider anti-social motoring like riding in convoy, performing stunts, or revving engines, blaring horns and playing loud music at vehicle gatherings. There are similar injunctions in place across Solihull and the whole of the Black Country.

Birmingham Police Sergeant Martin Williams said anyone who flouts the injunction by racing on the city’s streets runs the risk of being jailed. He said:

“We run regular operations into the night to enforce the Car Cruising Injunction and look out for anyone breaching the conditions. Street racing is extremely dangerous with offenders putting their own lives in danger plus those of other road users.

“The actions of Ahmed-Baig and Hudson were totally senseless: they were driving at high speed, far in excess of the limit, despite the awful driving conditions and standing water. Both were aware of the injunction, they knew what they were doing was illegal, and both now have criminal records as a result.”

Another man – 25-year-old Darren Bourne from Shipley Grove, Selly Oak – was also arrested on Sunday night on suspicion of breaching the injunction. It’s alleged he drove a Ford Fiesta at 83mph in a 40-zone along the A47 Fort Parkway and is set to appear before the county judge in Birmingham later this month. Superintendent Dean Hatton, Head of Force Traffic, added:

“Signs have been put up at the roadside on hotspot routes, including the A47 Fort Parkway, A38, A45 and city centre ‘Middleways’, warning drivers about the Injunction. There are no excuses.

“We’ve taken a really firm stance on street racers in recent years and taken scores of offenders to court… there will be no let-up in our efforts to take dangerous road users off the streets.”