Spectators taken to hospital after speedway crash

Two spectators were taken to hospital for checks

Three spectators at a speedway race required medical attention after a bike cleared the safety barrier.

The semi-final at the ECCO arena in Middlesbrough was abandoned following the crash on Sunday evening.

A statement from the Redcar Bears, who had been competing against Glasgow, said a bike cleared the safety fence and struck the secondary barrier.

The club has confirmed all three spectators are safe and have no serious injuries, but two were taken to hospital for checks.

Gavin Parr, Redcar Bears team manager, was standing just yards away from the crash, which he described as a "freak accident".

"The bike catapulted over the first fence and hit the second safety fence," he said.

"It stopped the bike's momentum and broke into about three pieces, it shattered on impact."

He said the safety fences did "their job" and stopped the bike. It added it was the broken bits of fence that caused the injuries.

"Our fans are what keeps us going, so for any fans to get injured or hurt watching the sport that they love hits us hard," he said.

Mr Parr said the club "will think about" what happened and meet to see if "there is anything we can put in place to make it even safer than it is."

A spokesperson for British Speedway said: "Best wishes to all involved in the incident, and we thank the medical services and staff for their prompt action."