TT visitors fined for riding against one-way route
Three visiting the Isle of Man TT fans have been fined after riding their motorcycles against the one-way system on the Mountain Road.
Mark Cubbon and Roy Wisken, both from Norfolk, and Stephen Bloomfield, from Suffolk, were arrested on Friday after passing the No Entry signs at the Creg ny Baa.
Douglas Courthouse heard the trio had ignored a police officer flashing his headlights to alert them of the error.
Cubbon, 61, Wisken, 67 and Bloomfield, 61, were each fined £250 and ordered to pay £125 in prosecution costs, with visitor from Suffolk fined a further £500 for possession of a knife.
Since the centenary of the event in 2007, traffic on the A18 is only allowed to travel in the direction of the course between Ramsey and the Creg ny Baa during the TT period.
The court heard Bloomfield, from Eye in Suffolk, was leading the trio when they approached the Creg ny Baa at about 15:15 BST on Friday.
When they reached the start of the one-way system they rode past the signage, travelling up hill towards Kate's Cottage, ignoring a police officer who flashed his car lights at them, the court was told.
Bloomfield, Cubbon, from Holton in Norfolk, and Wisken, from Harleston in Norfolk, only stopped when they saw vehicles travelling towards them, before heading back to the Creg ny Baa.
'Risk'
The court heard all three men were apologetic when arrested, and when asked to turn out their pockets Bloomfield was found to have a small utility knife, which the court was told he used for camping.
The bikers' defence advocate said the men had not seen the signs at the Creg Ny Baa as they were struggling with their vision in the rainfall which had led to the cancellation of the day's racing.
He said they had seen a light change from red to green and turned up towards Kate's Cottage, but stopped when they "realised something was wrong".
A temporary traffic lights system is in operation in the area to control traffic turning onto the Creg ny Baa Back Road.
Sentencing the men, High Bailiff James Brooks said while he accepted there had been an "element of confusion", there "must still be a risk, even at a short distance" to contravening the one-way system.
Mr Brooks said although Bloomfield's reasoning for having the knife on the island was "logical and sensible", there was "no need" for him to be carrying it away from the campsite.
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