4x4 event cancelled in rules row

Participants ride over logs, through trees and over slopes

Organisers of an off-road contest in Highland Perthshire have said they are pulling out of Tayside because too many rules removed any risk factor.

The Tay Forest Challenge, which was set to take place on 4 to 6 September, sees people drive 4x4s through trees, down slopes and over rocks and stumps.

However, organisers said new Forestry Commission rules "neutered" the event and they have cancelled it.

The Commission said they had to protect wildlife, the public and water courses.

The Scotia Winch Challenge Club, which was organising the event, said it had run such contests for about eight years without any problems from the Forestry Commission.

However, it stated that officials came to them with concerns after seeing some clips of the event on YouTube.

New conditions were imposed stating that crews, including the marshals, had to stay in the vehicle while it was moving; that soft, boggy or wet ground could not be used; watercourses had to be avoided; and that they had to steer clear of windy areas.

Event organiser, Andy Thomlinson, said: "We use bits of the forest that nobody else can use. We use access tracks, we use old riverbeds, we use boggy bits, all the bits that the forest enterprise cannot use.

"We even have a 'tread lightly' attitude. We don't want to leave any sign that we've been there two months after the event has taken place, so it's not as if we are going in and tearing the place to bits."

Organisers said they try to minimise the impact on the forests

Mr Thomlinson added that the event, which featured up to 200 participants, boosted the local economy and raised money for charity.

He said: "I cannot bring competitors from all over the UK and from mainland Europe to an event that bears no relation to something that we have run in previous years.

"We've got a reputation to live up to and that is that this is the toughest and nastiest winch challenge event in mainland UK, and we can't provide them with that if our hands are permanently tied behind our backs.

"The winch challenge scene is distraught at the moment because the Tay has gone."

A spokesman for Forestry Commission Scotland, said: "We held constructive discussions with the organisers to ensure that the event was safe - for participants, marshals and any members of the public who strayed into the area - and that the event would not result in any damage to biodiversity or any sensitive habitats.

"It was also important to protect private water supplies and water courses, which if contaminated or damaged could quite easily cause greater disruption downstream.

"We offered some constructive advice to help the organisers address these issues so it's unfortunate that they have decided to cancel the event."