Oil Slick 'Sabotage' Halts Road Race

There has been outrage over an apparent deliberate oil spill that sabotaged a weekend motorbike race meeting.

The North Antrim Ulster Unionist MLA, Robin Swann has condemned those who created an oil slick that caused the cancellation on the Mid Antrim 150 road races.

The politician commented after the incident and said: "The cancellation of the races is a huge loss to the road racing fraternity in North Antrim."

He spoke soon after the clerk of the Mid Antrim 150 course, Jack Agnew said the oil spill, which led to the cancellation of the race, was "strategically placed".

Mr Agnew arrived on Saturday morning to find much of the course at Clough had been covered and a major clean-up operation ensued after a mixture of oil and diesel was found on the circuit.

The event was cancelled at 12.30 pm and the police were informed after Mr Agnew said he believed it was "deliberate because of the position it was put on the road - on the very fast bend, on the racing line and the breaking line".

"I believe that whoever did it knew what they were doing," he said.

Mr Agnew said "the fact that it was done during the night" also heightened suspicion.

It is the second year the race has been affected by oil, although last year the damage was not as severe.

"This confirms that last year was probably deliberate as well," Mr Agnew said and noted that the PSNI is investigating and were examining CCTV footage.

Ulster Unionist MLA, Robin Swann commented after the incident:

"It looks like this was a deliberate, and frankly disgraceful move to stop the event from going ahead.

"Those selfish individuals who caused the oil slick have ruined all the hard work put in by the event organisers over the past year.

"I must praise those involved who took the decision to cancel today's racing as one of the competitors could have been seriously injured or killed as a result of this idiotic act," he said.

"I would urge anyone who has information that could help to apprehend those responsible to contact the PSNI immediately."

(BMcC/GK)