POLICE concerns about the sale of alcohol at a forthcoming international motorcycling event near Winchester have been allayed.

The Motocross of Nations - dubbed ‘the Olympics of Motocross’ - is being held at Matterley Basin this weekend, and is expected to attract up to 40,000 people from around the world.

Youthstream, who manage the event’s marketing, applied to sell alcohol in the paddock area at three bars, but Hampshire Constabulary initially objected to this because they felt that it could affect public safety.

Overall organisers SD Events have already been granted two premises licenses of their own.

The Temporary Event Notice (TEN) was to allow the sale of alcohol between 8am and 1.30am in the paddock area at Alresford Road, near Cheesefoot Head, on Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1.

But police initially stated they were concerned that there was no indication as to where the bars would be, and that no measures to avoid drunkenness or to avoid the supply of alcohol to children were in place.

They also queried why the area was being licensed so late when the racing finishes at around 5pm.

A licensing sub-committee at Winchester City Council which due to make a decision on the matter was cancelled on Monday, September 25.

A city council spokesman said: “The applicant of the event and the police came to an agreement in relation to the application so a hearing was no longer needed.”

A police spokesman said: “Hampshire Constabulary initially raised a concern about temporary event notices, but we are content that these are now included in the main plan for the event.”