Isle of Man TT 2019: Man charged after wielding axe at course marshals

Police confirm 26-year-old from Peel, on west coast of the island, arrested and charged with affray and breaking road closure order

A man will appear in court on Monday after he was arrested for allegedly entering the Isle of Man TT course while wielding an axe at race marshals.

The motorbike road racing event is taking place on the Isle of Man this week, which sees more than 37 miles of public roads closed for what is the biggest motorcycling festival in the world.

Police confirmed that a 26-year-old from Peel, on the west coast of the island, was arrested and charged with affray and also breaking a road closure order.

The incident happened on Sunday near Laurel Bank, where the man was “threatening and abusive” towards race marshals before barricading himself in a van before being arrested, a police spokesman confirmed.

Laurel Bank is a fast right-hand corner shortly before Glen Helen, around nine miles into the TT course.

“It’s extremely dangerous for any person to enter a closed road,” said police inspector Andrew Reed. “Not only does it place themselves in danger but other members of the public, riders and police officers too.”

Police have also appealed for any witnessed to come forward and contact local authorities.

The incident came days after a man was fined £1,500 for walking across the course during qualifying, where bikes travel at speeds as fast as 200mph. If individuals are found guilty of trespassing onto closed roads during the TT, officials have the powers to deport visitors from the island.

This year’s event has been heavily affected by bad weather conditions, meaning just two of the 10 qualifying sessions went ahead and a two-day delay to racing.

Roads are closed to the public during races (www.iomttraces.com)

The opening race of the week, the RST Superbike event, was red flagged after three laps due to an incident at Snugborough, near Union Mills, on Monday. The race result was subsequently declared at the end of lap two, with Peter Hickman winning ahead of Dean Harrison and Conor Cummins.