Speedway: Tyre refusal riders fined and banned

Thirteen leading riders have been given the heaviest fines in the history of speedway and thrown out of this year's World Championship.

The riders, including the England internationals Carl Stonehewer, David Norris and Simon Cross, were punished after refusing to ride in the World Championship overseas final in Coventry last month on new solid block tyres which they claimed were dangerous.

The decision was taken by a three-man disciplinary panel of FIM, the sport's world governing body. The riders were fined pounds 2,200 and banned from all FIM World Championship events between now and the end of the year. They were also banned from all international competitions for the next nine months, although this has been suspended for two years.