POLICE today insisted they were not killjoys after being slammed by motorists taking part in a 'cruise'.

Around 1,000 cars are thought to have gathered in East Lancashire earlier this month.

Police, acting on intelligence, moved the drivers on, fearing danger to the public. No arrests were made.

But those who took part in the event said they were just 'like-minded individuals having some fun'.

One, who did not want to be named, said: "Out-of the-way car parks are generally used for cruises so that we do not disturb the public because there will be the noise of stereos and 800 motorists talking.

"This particular cruise was held on an industrial estate just off the M65 motorway near Accrington.

All the cars which attended travelled straight down the M66 in a 50mph convoy and from there straight over the by-pass on to the M65. There are no traffic lights apart from where the M62 joins the M66, and 50mph can hardly be classed as dangerous driving or driving around the streets at high speed."

The driver went on to say that before the cars could get settled, police arrived and moved them on resulting in cars 'lost in an area they didn't know'.

And he said authorities should police the events officially.

He said: "All these people wanted was to meet with their friends, but at the same time need somewhere to park their vehicles. I and hundreds of others are sick of the stereotypical views of the police force regarding the cruising scene.

"We would rather have some police presence at these meets to correct any idiots who turn up unexpectedly, which has happened in the past, but to cause chaos by turfing foreign cars on to main roads is not clever. "

But Sergeant Stuart Isherwood, of Accrington Road Safety Unit, defended officers' actions.

He said: "These events are not official and nobody approaches us about them. They are risk assessed and if we have intelligence one is coming to the area, we have to act on that.

"Some of these events have turned into a nuisance with some drivers committing serious traffic offences just for the entertainment of the crowd."