“CRUISING is a culture and tradition that will never die off” are the stark words from the owner of a “boy racer” Facebook page.

Each weekend, varying numbers of enthusiasts, aged from 17 to 25, with modified vehicles, cram the retail park car parks at Lakeside.

Often, cars are fitted with large exhausts, amplifying the sound of the cars.

The 21-year-old, who wished to remain anonymous, runs Lakeside Cruising, a Facebook page that has attracted more than 3,000 fans in four years.

He insists most people who descend on Lakeside shopping centre in their droves late at night each weekend do so to gather socially and show off their cars.

But he admits that occasionally, meets do turn into races, causing misery to nearby residents.

He said: “There are two types of people who come to the events. There are cruisers, who just park in the car park and talk about their cars all evening and then there are a few who park up for two mins and then race.

“Recently, there was a big race around the small roundabouts at the retail park, with people cutting each other up and racing five abreast. Everyone was nearly causing crashes.

“I don’t do it myself, but if someone does, I love watching it as long as people aren’t doing anything stupid.”

The Lakeside Cruising Facebook page and other social networking sites have been used to publish a circuit around the shopping centre basin.

The man said: “We’re not really racing around the circuit, we’re showing off. If you’re going round the route though, that’s much safer. You’re not racing or gambling.”

The page owner insists most of the time though, the revellers aren’t doing anything wrong, adding: “The reason we meet late at night is because it’s so quiet at Lakeside.

“There are no shops open, the car parks are empty. We know we create noise which is why we go out of the way.

“We’re not doing anything wrong, what’s the crime?”