THE future of one of the world's oldest motorsport events - the Scott Trial in Swaledale - is in doubt because of a crackdown on off-road events.

Government regulations have been introduced to reduce the number of off-road motorsport events.

The Scott Trial, a motorcycle event that has been held since 1914, faces a battle to survive.

Local charities, who have been given more than £50,000 in the past 13 years, and hundreds of small businesses that benefit from the event all stand to lose out.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has changed the way landowners receive subsidies.

Under the new Single Payment Scheme of the Common Agricultural Policy, land that is used for motorsport does not qualify for subsidy payments.

The new regulations will affect half of all motorsport in the country, according to the Motoring Organisation's Land Access and Recreation Association (Lara).

Tim Stevens, development officer for Lara, said: "The Scott Trial is under threat.

"It is run on land owned by about 50 landowners, and it only needs one of them to say no to holding the event for it to become complicated.

"If more than one landowner refuses permission, it will rule out using some of the land and it may not be possible to go ahead."

Nearly 200 competitions have already been cancelled across the country, and the Richmond and District Motorcycle Club, which organises the Scott Trial, is hoping not to have to add the October event to the list.

Club secretary Angela Sunter said: "When I first heard about the new rules, my first thought was that there could be a risk to the trial.

"The worst case scenario is we can't run any events. It has been run since 1914, and has operated in this area for 54 years, so it is a historic event.

"If that goes, there will be a huge uproar." David Peacock, who farms between Richmond and Catterick Bridge, understands landowners' dilemma and motorcyclists' frustration because he and his three children are all members of the Richmond club.

Mr Peacock said: "This is verging on the ridiculous.

"To say to farmers that motorsport is not allowed, but you can have horse hunter trials - I just can't under- stand where they are coming from."

The Richmond club runs about 25 events a year, and has 350 members.

Mrs Sunter said the consequences of the new policy had not been properly thought-out.

She said: "What is going to happen if there aren't organised events?

"There will be people out there riding illegally, which is going to make the situation twice as bad.

"We have over 100 schoolboy members, aged between six and 16, and there is not going to be anything for them to do."