York survived the Vikings... but can it handle rowdy revellers?

Increasingly drunk and anti-social behaviour, especially around race days, is pushing the residents of one of England's loveliest cities to the brink...

- By Richard Ashmore

HE jarring hollow metallic sound of shoes stamping on car roofs and bonnets is a far cry from the noise of thundering horses' hooves on a racetrack.

But drunken racegoers galloping over parked vehicles is a sad reality for residents living in the shadow of a horse racing track in one of the prettiest cities in England.

York is a historic jewel, with stunning medieval streets, Viking roots, and an impressive, preserved 13th century city wall running right around the centre. There's even a statue of Emperor Constantine, who was proclaimed leader of the Roman Empire in the Yorkshire settlement in 306 AD. Not to mention the beautiful backdrop and accolades such as being named among the UK's best places to visit by Conde Nast, which has led to a boom in tourists in recent years.

But the thriving hospitality sector is now attracting a very different kind of visitor — hen and stag dos, and revellers who want to party at the grand York Racecourse, dubbed the "Ascot of the North", situated just two miles from the city's historic heart.

The venue sits next to a large patch of common land known as Knavesmire, and the attractive Victorian houses which line the edge of the green space make for a seemingly pleasant place to live. But with around 260,000 racegoers attending some 17 meetings every year, the quiet streets can become awash with some rather unsavoury behaviour more suited to the last days of Rome, than the tranquility of a suburb.

Public urination by both men and women, shouting and swearing, random acts of vandalism and dangerous driving are all complained about by locals, who also bemoan swarms of Ubers taking over the roads, acting as modern-day chariots for the barbarian hordes of drinkers.

When the Express arrives ahead of the run-up to the John Smith's Cup on Saturday, we hear from one longtime resident who blames drunken revellers for causing havoc.