THEY drive some of the coolest cars in the Borders.

But modified motoring enthusiasts who meet most nights in Peebles claim they are being unfairly labelled as boy racers.

It follows complaints from local residents who claim they are making their lives a misery.

Among those who gather at Kingsmeadows car park is a group of young professionals.

One is an apprentice mechanical engineer who helps build submarines, one designs wind farms, and another works in a local award winning butcher shop.

All take great pride in their cars.

Twenty-year-old Jordan Mclennan, from Innerleithen, said: “I think the criticism is a bit of a joke.

“Everybody just meets up to find out what’s been happening during the day and find out what’s happening at the weekend. It’s just like a pub to somebody who goes out every weekend and we all enjoy the same sort of things.” One neighbour claimed pedestrians are being put in danger and continually soaked by speeding cars in Kingsmeadows Road.

And, she claimed, drivers treated part of the road like a racetrack.

But the car enthusiasts pointed out police were aware of their regular get togethers and they would be quickly brought to book if caught indulging in anti-social behaviour.

Jordan, who takes part in car shows up and down the country with his chums, said: “I spend most of my day cleaning my car for a show and I don’t want to be just going along a road and soaking someone with a bit of water which would make my car dirty.

“I spend easy £70 on a tub of wax (to shine car) each month so it’s not cheap at all.” He added: “I have been pulled over for my modifications before but they (police) couldn’t do anything because they are all insured.” One motorist who does drive like a racing driver is 21-one-year-old Douglas Simpson, from West Linton.

He competes in the Scottish BMW Compact Cup at Knockhill Racing Circuit – Scotland’s National Motorsport Centre.

However, he stressed, any racing is kept to the track.

Douglas said: “When I first passed my test I was a bit of an idiot but everybody is. And half the people that are belting out this car park are just passing by but we all get tarred with the same brush.

“It (Kingsmeadow car park) is just a meeting point.

“The police said when they come in we are all good as gold but half the time we are not even in our cars and half the time they come down to speak about cars. They say: 'Just keep the noise down, we don’t want any complaints’.” The Peeblesshire News met up with the young drivers this week to give them a chance to respond to complaints from neighbours.

The interview was drowned out at one point by the sound of a noisy exhaust thundering by.

However, the driver behind the wheel of the vehicle was almost twice their age and not part of their group.

Nineteen-year-old Sam Buchanan, from Innerleithen, said: “When everyone passed their test they would pull handbrake turns in the snow but that was years ago and now we’re all more professional.

“A lot of folk around that do this stuff do get a bad name. There’s a lot of stuff that goes on around places like Edinburgh and loads of accidents but it does annoy me that we got this sort of bother for being so into it.

“We can spend as much as £500 on an exhaust while, out in the town, folk our age will go off and spend easy that on drugs, drink, the lot. That’s a big problem here. If you go to (some establishments) there are jaws flying everywhere.” Referring to the recent complaint, he added: “I’ve been soaked down here myself before I could drive. I wouldn’t hit a puddle. Folk have been soaked down there by school-run mums and just random folk.” Young drivers are being encouraged to soup up their vehicles by car magazines - but the consequences are higher motoring premiums for all young drivers.

Twenty-year-old Robert Wilson, from Peebles, said: “There’s not much else on in Peebles to be honest, unless you fancy going for a drink but none of us are really into that.

“We’d rather spend money on our cars than wasting it on drink and then have nothing to show for it.” When asked how much money he spends on his car, he smiled: “All my wages, basically.”