Boy racers have returned to Eastbourne town centre to make residents' lives a misery.

More than a dozen souped-up cars have again been converging in Eastbourne at weekends for so-called cruises.

Drivers hit the streets to perform rubber-burning wheel spins, sound their horns, and play blaring music until as late as 4am.

It is a nuisance councillors in the town thought had been banished several months ago following stiff intervention from police.

At the height of the problem, up to 60 cruisers would meet up in Eastbourne town centre.

Now residents say more and more cruisers are returning to parts of the town centre, including Devonshire Place and Hyde Gardens.

Former councillor Brian Jones, chairman of the Memorial Square Residents' Action Group, said: "It can be a nightmare.

"I know there have been a number of mature people who have moved into the area but moved out again within six months purely because of this problem.

"They are not being fuddy-duddys. We appreciate there are phases people go through when they are growing up. But there has got to be a time when they develop some responsibilities."

Resident Eric Lascelles, of Devonshire Place, Eastbourne, said some of his neighbours have been woken at 1.30am by youths.

He added: "They just take over the place and come and go as they see fit.

"They make one hell of a noise by screeching their brakes, playing loud music and basically making a nuisance of themselves."

Council bosses said they were working with police to quell the problem.

Devonshire ward councillor Sheila Charlton, chairman of the town centre action group, said: "It's a problem I inherited when I became a councillor nine years ago.

"With the help of then Inspector Martin Stevens we managed to nip the problem in the bud but they seem to have returned.

"However, we are in contact with the police to overcome this, which I'm sure we will."

A police spokesman said: "We are mindful of what is going on but we are working with our partner agencies, such as Eastbourne Borough Council and the residents, in the hope that we can resolve the problem fairly shortly."