A MOTORCYCLE race meeting in Co. Antrim has been cancelled after glass, nails and oil were deliberately placed on parts of the course.
The Mid-Antrim 150 was due to take place in Clough on Saturday for the first time in six years.
However, the course was sabotaged following Friday's qualifying sessions, forcing organisers to call off the race.
The Mid Antrim 150 road races have been cancelled, after people spread diesel and glass over the course overnight 🤬
Club has been battling collapse for years, survived to come back again after COVID, and made a tough decision to race on this weekend. Sickening.
— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) September 10, 2022
"Sadly, due to circumstances beyond our control, race day of [the] Mid-Antrim 150 road race is cancelled," read a short statement.
The event, which was previously cancelled in 2011 after a malicious oil spill on the course in the hours before the race, was last held in 2016.
This year's meeting was one of a number of sporting events due to go ahead this weekend, despite the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
Very sad to hear what has happened at the Mid Antrim 150 where the course was vandalised and the meeting had to be abandoned. I’m not sure how the Mid Antrim 150 can go forward from this. Everyone has their opinion in the running of this meeting, what happened is so WRONG 🏁
— drummerthethird (@drummerthethird) September 10, 2022
Organisers said they made the decision to press ahead with the event following talks with club members, competitors and Clough residents.
In a statement, the PSNI said it had launched an investigation after the course had been deliberately targeted.
"Police in Ballymena received a report in the early hours of Saturday 10th September that glass, nails and oil had been deliberately spilled on Drumagrove Road, Cloughwater Road and Dunbought Road," read the statement.
Unfortunately the Mid Antrim 150 has had to be cancelled. This is how our morning unfolded. pic.twitter.com/IZHzhA9Zlf
— watchthelights (@roadsandtracks) September 10, 2022
"Efforts are ongoing to clean these roads.
"An investigation is underway and officers would ask anyone with any information about this incident to call police in Ballymena on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 8 10/09/22."
