MOTORSPORT faces the bleak prospect of a complete shutdown in the wake of the current foot and mouth crisis.

Motorcycle trials and stage rallying have been the first to suffer as the disease spreads throughout the country.

Virtually all trial competitions in Lancashire and Yorkshire were cancelled last weekend, and Saturday's Lake District-based Malcolm Wilson Rally, the second round of the BTRDA championship has been postponed until May.

Circuit racing, which was due to start later this month, remains as yet unaffected but if the situation deteriorates it is expected that tracks in rural areas, such as Oulton Park in Cheshire, could be hit.

There are now fears among organisers and competitors that the outbreak could be worse than the 1967 disaster, which brought all motorsport to a halt and forced the cancellation of the RAC Rally, unprecedented in the event's long history.

Bradford and District motor club, which boast a large percentage of East Lancashire members, took the decision to cancel their motorcycle trial at Kilnsey after consulting with the landowner.

Spokesman Stuart Cameron said: "It was thought to be the best thing to do to protect the farmer whose land we were to use from any possible contamination. In respect to the farming community in the area, we will not be organising any more trials until we know that there is no possibility of spreading the virus.

"Many clubs in the UK have already cancelled events for the same reason."

The area centres of the ACU, the sport's governing body, are expected to meet this week where making a decision whether to cancel all competitions until further notice is expected to be top of the agenda.

Rallying is also reeling from the postponement of the Malcolm Wilson Rally this weekend and the cancellation of the opening round of the British Championship, the Rally of Wales, which was scheduled for March 10-11.

Around 180 cars and crews were due to tackle this weekend's Malcolm Wilson Rally, with hundreds of spectators expected to watch the action in the forests of Grizedale and Wythop.

But the threatened closure of the Lake District National Park left organisers Morecambe Car Club with little option but to suspend the event.

"In light of the crisis, and after talks with the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Foods, the organising committee decided to postpone until the situation is resolved," said press officer Katy Mashiter.

"Subject to control of the disease, the new date will arranged in May, and further details will be given to competitors as soon as we are able to confirm the use of facilities and venues.

"We would ask everyone to bear with the organisers at this time as things may change rapidly."

The Rally of Wales, opening round of the British Championship, was axed earlier this week following the closure of the Sweet Lamb complex in mid-Wales -- scheduled to be used for several of the Saturday stages -- and a suspected new outbreak of foot-and-mouth at an abattoir in Anglesey.

Organisers Caernarvonshire and Anglesey motor club moved quickly to defer the running of the event, due to start in Wrexham on March 10. Clerk of the course Jim Jones said: "After consultation with farmers in North and Mid-wales, the only appropriate action is for us to defer the running of the rally.

"It is too early to speculate when we can run the event, but we will begin discussing an alternative date with the Motor Sport Association which will fit in with the existing calendar of UK rallies."

But with the disease spreading to new areas and more suspect premises being investigated in Northumberland, Aberdeenshire, Gloucestershire and Kent, it could be a long wait.