Rally champ worried about warning sign vandalism at school

Walkers, runners and mountain bikers trespassing or accidentally accessing a private local woodland are risking being hit by rally cars after someone stole warning signs on gates around the land.

Rally champion David Higgins and his wife Kara, who run the Higgins Rally School in Carno, have had to replace signs on gates around the 900 acre woodland near Carno which has been leased and used by the rally school for over 20 years, only to find them ripped off again.

They have come across walkers and runners in the middle of tracks in the wood, some with headphones on, unaware its used by the rally school or often that it is private land with no public right of way.

David, who drives for Subaru USA and was Rally American National Champion in 2011, 2012, 2013 and last year, and is brother of rally champion and stunt driver Mark Higgins from Abermule, has urged people to leave the signs alone.

“It’s very dangerous for people to take these signs down for whatever reason,” said his wife Kara who runs the business with him.

“The woodland is private and used for rally students and vehicles practicing and has been for 30 years, 20 of which by our rally school.

“For some reason signs warning people of the vehicles travelling through the private wood have been ripped off meaning those unaware of the rally school are placing themselves at risk.”

“On a number of occasions we have come across walkers and runners in forest running in middle of road with headsets on so can't hear the cars, clearly trespassing and ignoring the signs. We have also come across cyclists who lift their bikes over the gate.”

The woodland is private, with only one short public right-of-way across a lane in the wood to a neighbouring piece of farmland and moorland.

“Our concern is that if people go in the forest unauthorised then someone could get hurt or worse, therefore the warning signs are hugely important,” added Kara.

“The forest is a private forest, with only one point of access as public right of way to access that you have to go over a neighbouring farmers land and over moorland at which point you can cross a road through the 900 acre forest. 

“As we are aware of where that is when running courses we get clients to go slow.”

David has since replaced some of the signs but they fear someone will take them down again, unaware of the danger they’re causing.

Caption: David Higgins (above, right) and the signs that have been vandalised warning people of the rally cars in the private woodland.