A MOUNTAIN bike race organiser told a court he did not believe an “exclusion zone” was needed on the Llangollen track where a spectator received fatal injuries after being struck by an out-of-control cycle.

Michael Marsden is accused of failing to ensure the safety of spectators, including Judith Garrett, who died after being hit head on at the downhill event on August 31, 2014.

Meanwhile a marshal at the event at Tan Y Graig Farm, who it was alleged had left his post at the time Miss Garrett was struck, has been found not guilty and discharged from the trial.

Judge Rhys Rowlands directed the jury to clear Kevin Duckworth, 42, of Addison Street, Accrington, Lancashire, of the charge of failing to ensure his health and safety duties as a marshal were complied with.

Organiser Marsden and governing body the British Cycling Federation still face three charges as a result of the health and safety investigation by Denbighshire Council

Marsden, 41, of Gressingham Drive, Lancaster, is accused of failing to ensure the safety of spectators at the event and failing to make a suitable assessment of the health and safety risks posed to spectators.

The British Cycling Federation faces a charge of failing to conduct an undertaking in such a way as to ensure the health and safety of people attending.

The prosecution alleges a lack of attention to detail had dogged the planning of the event and that the area near to a three-jump stretch where Miss Garrett, of Prudhoe, Northumberland, was hit should have been taped off and designated as a 'no go area'.

Marsden recalled he had a conversation with the event commissaire Alex Thompson about the taping of the track, but recalled he had “made no adverse comments at all”.

He told the court he did not think there needed to be an exclusion zone at the point where the crash happened.

“I have never seen anybody come off the track there,” he said.

Marsden told the court he had prepared a generic risk assessment for the event which he sent off to Welsh Cycling after which he received a race permit.

He recalled talking to Martin Sands, the landowner at Tan Y Graig Farm, about choosing a course for the 2014 Downhill race and the farmer told him he did not want to use the previous year’s track, which had been Marsden’s preference.

The Lancaster-based businessmen said he had been organising mountain bike events at weekends since 2008, trading as Borderline Events, and in all had put on about 45 events around the UK since 2014.

But he was not organising events anymore and under cross-examination from prosecuting barrister James Hill QC he said he organised his last event last October.

“I stopped because I felt like I needed to,” said Marsden, who also told the court how the tragic death of Miss Garrett had affected him badly, leaving him needing to take medication to help him sleep.

But he also told the court: “As sad as I feel it can’t be as sad as how the [Garrett] family feels.”

Marsden and the British Cycling Federation deny all the charges and the case continues.