COMMUNITY leaders said high-powered hire car drivers speeding in residential areas have failed to ‘learn their lesson’ despite the tragic death of a nine-year-old boy.

Cllr Naushad Surve, a close friend of the family of Adam Limbada, the boy killed while crossing Whalley New Road, Blackburn, by Atif Dayaji, said calls to stop drivers racing around the streets had fallen on deaf ears.

At the weekend, residents reported luxury hire cars including a green Lamborghini and a ‘fancy’ BMW tearing around Whalley New Road, Campbell Street, St James Street and Whalley Range.

Rubber tyre tracks have even been spotted in Campbell Street stretching 40ft.

One mother said she and her four-year-old son were almost hit by one supercar as it sped along the same road Daisyfield Primary School pupil, Adam, was killed on.

Councillors are now calling for more education to prevent further deaths.

Adrian Crook, of Cranshaw Drive, Blackburn, said: “The message is just not sinking in. When will these people learn their lesson?

“The latest incident happened just a few days after someone was in court for killing a little boy doing the same thing.

“This issue has definitely got worse in the last few years.

“I live and work in the area and see people speeding every day.

“Something has got to be done or we will be dealing with more deaths in the future.

“I have driven all over the world and the driving I see in Blackburn is the worst I have seen anywhere.”

Reader 'DapperDorset' commented on the Lancashire Telegraph website: “Me and my four-year-old son were nearly run over crossing the road by one of the hired Lambos, the famous green one on Whalley Range/Whalley New Road.

“The driver was going at a very dangerous speed.

“Whalley New Road is such a straight road that you can see what cars are approaching at the other end, one minute he wasn’t there and the road was empty and then the next minute he was in front of us refusing to slow down. We had to run. A child has already been killed on this road from these ‘some thing to prove’ drivers.

“I reported the number plate to the police. One hour later he was whizzing up and down again.”

Cllr Surve, who represents the area on Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “People need to realise that these cars are very powerful machines. People’s thoughtless use of them increases the risk of serious accidents.

“Society needs to do more, it is getting to the situation where there needs to be more awareness in secondary schools.

“They need to target certain youngsters, who they can see going that way and teach them about he implications of dangerous driving.”

Adam was propelled 20 metres after being hit by a white BMW 4 Series being driven by Dayaji on August 4 last year.

Just before Dayaji, 26, of St Stephen’s Avenue, Blackburn, had been driving at 69mph in a 30mph zone.

Experts said at the point of impact Dayaji was doing between 41mph and 47mph but if he had been travelling at 30mph then he would have been able to brake in time.

Sentencing Dayaji to four years behind bars for Adam’s death, Judge Simon Newell slammed young drivers who hire luxury cars for ‘bravado’.

He said: “This is not the first time we have had cases like this before the courts.

“When I say that, I mean the hiring of high-powered vehicles by young men in the Blackburn and East Lancashire area who hire them for special occasions. Often these men have no, or very little, experience of driving such vehicles.

“They often take advantage of such vehicles to show off, to display bravado and thereby stupidly obtaining high speed. They often display confidence and abilities behind the wheel that they don’t have.

“I have seen a number of chases where the police trained drivers may be driving through an area like this, but these people have substantial knowledge and capability. Nobody, even a trained police officer, would approach that junction at 70mph.

“It seems to me that it needs to be made clear that someone hiring a vehicle and driving dangerously, whatever the consequences, will face the full weight of the law.”

Cllr Arshid Mahmood, the council’s community safety boss, said: “It’s a cultural thing to hire a brand new car for an event such as a wedding.

“We are trying to run a campaign where we go into local communities and highlight the issues around road safety.”

Speaking after Dayaji was sentenced, Sgt John Jennings-Wharton, said: “This is an increasing problem where young men in the East Lancashire area are hiring high-performance vehicles and driving them dangerously.

“The issue is the bravado and kudos you get by accelerating in a high-powered vehicle.”