A BURY model car club looks to have reached the end of the road after firebugs torched a £5,000 rostrum near its purpose-built track.

And the devastating blaze is also likely to wreck the chances of the town hosting a major UK radio-controlled car champioship event next year.

Now, in the wake of the £5,000 fire in the grounds of Goshen Sports Centre, stunned officials of the Bury Metro Radio-Controlled Car Club admit the organisation could be forced to shut down.

Ironically, the club moved its base to Bury five years ago after they were forced to abandon its previous premises in Hillock, Whitefield, because of repeated vandalism.

The weekend arson attack not only destroyed the 15ft high, metal-framed rostrum but the flames penetrated a corrugated storage area beneath and ravaged equipment - including a substantial amount of carpet used for indoor racing.

Mr Stanley Long, a committee member, said bleakly: "It's very doubtful if the club will be able to continue.

"The intense heat bent all the metalwork on the rostrum which is used by members to stand on so they can overlook the humps on the track.

"It will have to be pulled down and rebuilt. But to be honest, we just can't afford it."

The blow comes just before the lease from Bury Council for the 80 yard track was due to be renewed.

"We pay £1,600 a year in rent. But we'll have to get in touch with the council and ask them if they can help us out," added Mr Long.

"The fire has cost us £5,000 minimum. We also used to host big North West meetings when over 100 drivers would turn up."

Also going up in smoke is the club's hopes of hosting a prestigious two-day national radio-controlled car club championship at Goshen next year which would have involved 150 enthusiasts..

Mr Long explained: "We had been asked by our UK association if we would hold this. It was still at the planning stage until early next year.

"In the meantime, we'll have to see what we can salvage. We'd already spent £500 this year on maintaining the rostrum and redoing all the woodwork."

The Bury club has 40 members and has been in existence for 15 years.

Meanwhile, police are hunting the arsonists. Two young boys, aged around 13, were seen running away from the rostrum minutes before the blaze.

Anyone with information should ring Bury police crime management unit on 856 8157.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.