A man who admitted seriously injuring five people after crashing his car during a ‘cruise’ event in Peterborough has been jailed.

Anthony Francis, 21, of Lambeth Walk, Stamford, was attempting to do a ‘drift’ in his Mercedes at the event on August 8 last year when he lost control, ploughing into a large group of spectators.

Five people were seriously injured and several others less seriously.

Police and other emergency services were called at about 11.30pm to the scene in an industrial area in Stapledon Road, Orton Southgate, where hundreds of people had gathered.

Francis was arrested and last month he admitted five counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one count of dangerous driving.

Today (January 15) Francis was given 18-month prison sentences on each count, to run concurrently. He was also banned for driving for two years and his car was seized.

PC Paul Nisbet, who investigated, said: “This was an horrific crash for those injured and for the many people watching and it is only luck that no-one was more seriously hurt or killed.

“The case should send out a clear message that those taking part in illegal events of this kind run a significant risk of being seriously injured, or worse, and if you happen to be driving, a prison sentence.

“We will continue to treat these events seriously and do whatever we can to prevent them happening in the first place.”