JULY 28, 2003

Northamptonshire police head for Hockenheim

Officers from the Northamptonshire police are expected to be in Hockenheim this weekend to interview Formula 1 drivers about the incident at the British Grand Prix when the radical Irish priest Neil Horan ran onto the racing circuit. Horan has been in jail ever since the incident, having been remanded in custody on the day after the event. An application for bail on Monday was turned down by a Northamptonshire magistrates court on Monday pending psychological analysis of Horan and he remains on remand at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes.

The 56-year-old Irishman was accused by the prosecution of an offence that was "extremely dangerous" and featured "a total lack of regard for his safety, that of the staff, the public and of course of the drivers."

The defence argued that Horan had not intended to commit an offence at Silverstone but saw that a gate was open and snuck in.

Evidence from Grand Prix drivers is likely to be a key element in the decision of the court about how severely Horan should be treated by the justice system.