Efforts must be made to right the “profound disappointment” of NW200 cancellation – Sugden

Ms Sugden said the news would come as a terrible blow for fans, locals and tourism on both the north coast and in Northern Ireland generally.

“The NW200 has long been a staple on both the sporting and tourism calendar of Northern Ireland – and the north coast in particular,” said the independent MLA.

“It is the largest outdoor sporting event in Northern Ireland and draws tens of thousands of people from around the world who may never have visited this area before and who contribute massively to the local economy.

“The event has endured and overcome crises before – most recently the Covid pandemic and regular issues with funding. This current issue with the price of insurance, however, seems extremely serious and without resolution could pose a grave risk to the future of all motorcycle road racing across Northern Ireland.

“The reasons behind such a huge increase in the price of public liability insurance have not been made immediately clear. I hope that all the parties involved can work together to resolve this – if not in time for this year then certainly for 2024.

“I will be writing to the relevant bodies and government departments to seek their contribution on this resolution. We must do all we can to preserve and protect this unique aspect of Northern Ireland’s sporting and cultural heritage.”