Etape Caledonia saboteur case dropped

Charges have been dropped against a man arrested in connection with the sabotage of last year's Etape Caledonia cyclo-sportive.

Alexander Grosset was charged with spreading tacks on the road, causing hundreds of riders to puncture during the event held in Perthshire in May 2009.

Grosset, a 62-year-old community council chairman, will now not face charges of sabotage. The local police has stated that it has no plans to arrest any one else in connection with the event, the BBC reports.

"After full and careful consideration of all the facts and circumstances by Crown counsel, it was decided there should be no further proceedings," a Crown official said. 

Many riders who had suffered punctures during the £54-per-head event had to pack up after running out of spare inner tubes. The event was temporarily halted to clear the roads.

Although none of the 3,500 participants were hurt in the incident, the willful sabotage of the event was widely condemned.

The 2010 Etape Caledonia is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 16 2010.

Related links

62-year-old charged with Caledonia sabotage

Etape Caledonia stopped due to sabotage