Police have stepped up a campaign against dangerous drivers after they were alerted by the Oxford Mail to footage of road races posted on the Internet.

Police have now put on extra high-visibility patrols in the Launton Road area of Bicester.

The footage, which has now been removed, app- eared to have been filmed with a mobile phone and showed up to three cars at a time overtaking each other at speed on a two-lane road.

Entitled Saturday Night Drag Racing, the two-minute film showed five races involving cars and, in one case, a motorbike. Each race began with a title page appearing to show the drivers' first names, makes of cars, and who had won.

Other pieces of film showed modified cars doing stunts including wheel-spins and so-called 'doughnuts' - where drivers spin their vehicles around on the spot - in a car park.

Sgt Steve Birchall said he had made regular insp- ections of the area a priority. He said: "Local officers have checked the car parks along Launton Road every night in marked police vehicles as well as sitting up in un-marked cars. There have been no incidents of note.

"Racing on roads or areas open to the public will not be tolerated by Bicester police and incidents of this type will be dealt with in the strongest possible manner.

"The films are currently being examined at Thames Valley Police technical support unit and if they are of sufficient quality to be able to identify offences and offenders, prosecutions will be considered."

In August, Pc Matt Hemming launched a crackdown on problems associated with car cruising in the town following complaints about antisocial behaviour.

He said: "This raised concerns for the safety of motorists and pedestrians and disturbance to residents."

Mr Hemming added several drivers were warned under the Police Reform Act 2002, which gives police the power to seize vehicles seen being driven antisocially twice within a year.