Police have confirmed that 24 people have been charged after animal rights protesters stormed the Ayr Racecourse track in a bid to halt Saturday’s Scottish Grand National.
Protesters from the group Animal Rising climbed under and over fences at around 3.20pm, ahead of the £200,000 race, and invaded the track.
The same group delayed the start of Aintree’s Grand National last week.
But it did not delay the event, with the 18-horse race starting at 3:38pm.
In an update, Police Scotland confirmed that 24 people had been arrested and charged in connection with a breach of the peace.
Following the disruption, Ayr Racecourse’s managing director David Brown praised the swift action of the police and security staff.
Speaking after the Grand National, he said: “The race went off to time, there was no notable delay and the professionalism of the team up here in Scotland was a credit to them, they dealt with it in a very efficient manner.
“What a great race it was and a great story for (trainer) Christian Williams to win it for the second year in a row with Kitty’s Light, after he finished second last year. I think for me, this is Scotland’s showpiece race and it all ran to time.”
