A CAR rally which claimed the lives of a Barrhead couple five years ago is to make a comeback after a major safety review.

The Jim Clark Memorial Rally will take place in Berwickshire in November – five years after Elizabeth Allan, 63, and her 64-year-old partner Iain Provan died when a car left the road near Coldstream during the 2014 race.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry into the tragedy, which also claimed the life of a third spectator, 71-year-old Bearsden man Len Stern, took place in 2017.

In a written judgement, Sheriff Kenneth Maciver QC found the deaths could have been avoided if people had been clearly banned from standing in the area where the crash took place.

He also criticised safety checks at the rally, describing them as “inadequate.”

Sheriff Maciver found that both Ms Allan and Mr Provan died after suffering multiple injuries in a collision with a car which lost control involuntarily.

He issued a number of recommendations for rally organisers and other authorities to consider.

Organisers say this year’s rally, on November 8 and 9, is going ahead after a safety review involving a variety of organisations, including the Scottish Government, The Motorsports Association and the police.

They announced its resumption after final completion of new government legislation.

A statement from the Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club said the rally’s organising team had been strengthened by the inclusion of David Grey, from Northern Ireland, where closed road rallying is the norm, rather than the exception.

It added: “A former highly-successful competitor in his own right, he has switched roles over recent years – first through motor club activities and local events and later to national and international competitions.

“He therefore brings to the Jim Clark Rally organising team not just his huge experience and wide-ranging knowledge, but he also has a knack for dealing with volunteers and amateur sportspeople, and an ability to deal with motorsport governing bodies and politicians at local and national level.

“He also brings a fresh insight into the sport of closed road rallying, which to date has only had two regular events on Scottish soil."

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