BILLY BIRD and Plug Pulleyn enjoyed their best result in years as they finished the Mull Rally in fifth place overall.

Rarely outside the top 10 across the weekend's racing, the Vauxhall Chevette pair came second in the two-wheel drive class and were first home of the Malton Motor Club (MMC) crews that enjoyed their fair share of success after travelling to the Hebrides for the popular Tunnock's-sponsored event.

In all, 133 crews from across the nation raced over the 150 miles of special stages over the closed roads of the island of Mull.

Of the MMC contingent, there was early drama for Pickering's Dick Wardle alongside Jonathan Mounsey as they had problems from the word go when their Mitsubishi Lancer broke a drive shaft off the line of the opening stage, forcing them to limp through the first three stages before they could change it in service.

This marked the start of their comeback as they climbed from ninth to fourth over the next eight stages until bad luck struck again on stage 12 and mechanical problems dropped them to 28th overall.

A charge through the final leg saw the Evo crew finish a creditable 12th after an event that left them wondering what might have been.

Having better luck were Helperby's Curly Haigh and Sally Peacock in their Ford Escort.

After a consistent run they were laying 12th overall and third in class with just the final 23-mile stage to go. In treacherous conditions they set the third fastest time, passing two of their class rivals, who had crashed off, to end the rally an impressive eighth overall and first in class.

Taking second in that class were Grum Wilcock and Donna Harper in their Opel Manta. Poor tyre choice cost them on the opening leg, as did an altercation with a chicane, but the MMC duo put in their usual stellar performance over the final leg to end the rally 13th overall.

Club-mates Geoff Dean and Martin Woodcock put in a resounding performance in their under-powered BMW to prove that their seeding of 102 was somewhat unjustified as they caught and passed three cars in the first two stages.

Good times over the daylight leg moved them inside the top 50 and, although, a wrong tyre choice could have spelt disaster on the final stage, the pair managed to hang on and finish a deserved 38th overall.

Malton brothers Tom and Sam Spencer - pairing up for the first time - had a relatively trouble free run on Tom's driving debut on the event as they guided their Vauxhall Corsa through the challenging stages to 64th overall.

Three places back were club-mates Nicola Harper and Suzanne Barker in their Skoda Felicia.

They overcame in intermittent misfire and lighting problems to finish 67th overall on an event that saw less than half the competing crews reach the end.

The sole retirement from the MMC camp was that of Rob Meynell and Tommy Rogers, who were on for their best result to date in their Mini Clubman before a broken rocker forced them to retire at the end of the daylight leg while 67th overall.

The rally was won for the eighth time by Mull islander Callum Duffy in his Ford Escort, ahead of Bishop Auckland driver Tristan Pye.