ANTHONY Willmington, from Godmanstone near Dorchester, suffered heartache when he retired on the final stage on the Network Q Rally of Great Britain which finished in Cardiff last night.

The 33-year-old amateur Dorset driver was co-driven by Dorchester's Andrew White in the four-day, 1,000-mile event won by out-going world champion Marcus Gronholm who finished over two minutes ahead of Peugeot team-mate and fellow Finn Harri Rovanpera.

Richard Burns (Subaru) finished third, over three minutes behind the winner, earning the Briton his maiden FIA World Rally Championship "crown" - he first Englishman to ever win the prestigious title.

Anthony survived brake problems on the second day but stopped on the final 17.5-mile time trial when 55th when the engine cruelly seized.

A capacity field of 120-cars started the 14th and final round of the FIA World Rally Championship from the Welsh capital city last Thursday evening while almost a third of the field succumbed to the treacherously slippery and foggy conditions the following day.

Seventeen high-speed special stages, 15 in forests throughout mid and south Wales, had been scheduled. But a serious accident

involving Carlos Sainz onstage 11 (Brechfa) on Saturday afternoon resulted in that time trial being abandoned with the adjacent stage 12 (Trawscoed) being cancelled when the Spaniard's Ford left the road and hit spectators. Thirteen people were taken to West Wales General Hospital, none with life threatening injuries, four were detained overnight while only one adult remained in hospital today. Rain and fog combined with muddy and slippery conditions tested not only the reliability of the cars but the skill of each of the 50 crews who made it back to Cardiff City Hall last night.