POLICEMAN Nigel Nelson stole the limelight when he beat last year's winner Bill Chadwick to victory on the CSMA Road Rally.

Nelson, who made long trip from South Wales for the East Lancashire-based event, and navigator Martin Saunders dropped just five minutes and seven seconds over a tough 170-mile route.

Second place went to Pendle DMC pair Chadwick and Tom Wilcox in their Peugeot 205GTi, with Dave Chapman and David Taylor taking third.

The rally, which started and finished at the Eaves Hall Country Club at West Bradford, near Clitheroe, also ran a shorter, 'clubsport' event for beginners.

That was won by F1000 Challenge front-runner Rob Eastwood in a Mini 1275 bought just three days before the event!

Clerk of the course Steve Johnson, from Accrington, and his team from the Civil Service Motoring Association laid on a well-received 170-mile route - all contained in Lancashire -taking in classic road rally sections such as Haylots, Ringstones, and Lythe Fell.

"Judging by all the comments at the end, it was our best ever CSMA," said Steve.

"Our thanks to Eaves Hall for what must be the best start venue in the country and to the marshals and organising team for their efforts.""

The rally is scheduled to move to September next year in order to avoid the log-jam of three major road rallies in successive weeks during December.