Police stopped ex-priest from halting Derby

A retired Catholic priest who brought the Grand Prix at Silverstone to a halt was arrested seconds before he tried to pull the same stunt at Saturday's Derby, it was revealed today.

Father Neil Horan, 57, ran onto the track at Silverstone last July as cars hurtled past at 180mph during the British Grand Prix, prompting officials to interrupt the race.

Now it has emerged that police at the Derby in Epsom tackled the eccentric Irishman moments before, they feared, he was about to run onto the racetrack with a placard.

A source at Surrey police said: "An alert officer spotted the man and grabbed him. His actions may have averted what could have been a tragedy.

"If he had run into the crowded field of horses he could have been seriously injured, and jockeys and horses may have been hurt as well."

Police have now circulated Father Horan's details to other forces amid fears he may attempt to disrupt other sporting events, in particular the Royal Ascot meeting next week.

Horan was arrested last Saturday on suspicion of intention to cause a breach of the peace. But police could not prove that he was planning to disrupt the Derby by running onto the track so he was released without charge.

In a statement, Surrey police confirmed that a 57-year-old man from Nunhead in south London was arrested by officers at Epsom Downs racecourse on 5 June 2004 on suspicion of intending to cause a breach of the peace. He was taken to Reigate police station, where he was later released with no further action to be taken against him.

After the Silverstone incident last year it emerged the priest was banished from his south London parish in 1994 for predicting the world would end in 2000.

Last July, Father Horan was seen by millions on TV running headlong into the path of oncoming traffic at Hangar Straight, the fastest part of the Silverstone circuit.

Later it emerged he had also written to four members of ITV's Formula One team, including former driver Martin Brundle before his stunt.

The letters talked of there being too much violence in the world and the importance of reading the Bible - though they made no reference to his planned action.

The priest has a history of off-the-wall peace campaigning, styling himself as a "peace dancer". In 1988 he danced in the streets outside BBC and ITV headquarters "to do something practical in achieving world peace".

He once wrote to Tony Blair saying: "Dear Tony, can I come to Downing Street and do my Peace Dance for you, your family and everyone at No10 - from executives to cleaners to caterers?

"It will only take three minutes."