Jim Clark Rally halted following incident at closed roads event
The Jim Clark Rally has been halted following an incident.
Bumper crowds have converged on the Scottish Borders this morning (Saturday) for Day Two of the event.
More than 100 drivers are taking part this year, with Duns driver Euan Thorburn topping the leaderboard after Day One.
Locals report the roads being "very slippy" after rain overnight.
It's the biggest motorsport event in the region, and is believed to be worth almost £4 million a year to the local economy - with most local accommodation providers fully booked months in advance.
We asked these spectators what keeps them coming back:
No official spectator areas were created for stages at Edrom, Bothwell or Blackadder.
A statement released by the organisers at 11.20am says: "The Jim Clark Rally has been halted after an incident on SS8 Edrom.
"Further information will follow in due course."
It's not the first time the race - named after the late Formula One legend, who lived locally - has been stopped.
In 2022, a farmer forced the cancellation of a stage after blocking the road with a tractor.
That was the first year the rally had been run in full since three spectators were killed in 2014.
And, in 2023, a stage was halted during Sunday's Reivers Rally after repeated requests by safety marshals for spectators to stay off the closed roads were ignored.
Speaking at the time, Clerk of the Course, Jonathan Lord said: “The safety of everyone involved in the Jim Clark Rally from spectators and residents to competitors and officials is our highest priority.
“Once the road is closed for the rally, it becomes an offence to walk on the road, including heading onto the road to recover or push cars, and it is a condition of use that this is policed. But a small number of people chose to ignore that and sadly we had to stop the stage to deal with their actions and relocate them.
"That subsequently causes delays and could stop the entire rally, spoiling it for both competitors and fans.
“It was just a small number of people who caused the issues, but we work closely with the police and local authorities during the rally, and they will have no hesitation in pulling the plug on the event."
More to follow...
For more stories from the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, bookmark our new home page - https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/borders/news/