They turned out in force for a special meeting with police in Malton on Monday armed with a petition.

They claimed boy racers and other anti-social drivers were using the Wentworth Street car park as a rat-run and a race track, with noise and revving engines continuing into the early hours.

Now, the Safer Ryedale Partnership is hoped to put up semi-permanent barriers which will restrict access to a limited area of the car park at night.

Extra lighting, CCTV cameras and re-cycling bins are being added to the enclosure with "crocodile barriers" preventing motorists from driving into the car park from the one open exit in what would be the main car park.

Malton police sergeant Steve Pearse admitted there was a problem. He said: "These are deterrent and detection aids. It will be a significantly reduced area but it will still allow access to the facilities in and around the car park."

The crocodile barriers mean that anyone in there before 6pm can still leave but not come back in.

Sgt Pearse added: "It will leave very limited room, especially if you have got some heavy goods vehicles parked – there will be no room for handbrake turns.

Night-time barriers at three of the four entrances into the car park were installed three years ago

Police have also carried out a crackdown on cars which are not roadworthy and have threatened to seize any cars being driven anti-socially.

Recently, a special event was organised in the car park including which included a skid rink, to help motorists, especially youngsters, drive more responsibly.

But the residents are still unhappy that some drivers are continuing to behave irresponsibly.

John Alexander, of Smithson Court, said: "They are using it as a rat run – not only boy racers but white van men and even people 50 to 60 years old and they are speeding through there."

Nick Caddy, who lives in the Peasey Hills area, suggested adding speed bumps to the car park entrance alongside Smithson Court to stop drivers speeding into the car park. But he admitted he feared that successfully deterring young drivers from the car park would push the problem elsewhere.

Sgt Pearse told them: "If we can achieve a good deal of what we want then I think we will have made progress."