DORSET rally driver Tony Williams was forced to withdraw from his first event of 2012 after treacherous ice conditions hit the Team GMF Wyedean Forest Rally.

The 46-year-old completed two of the seven stages held in the picturesque Forest of Dean before taking the decision to retire from the rally.

With compacted sheet ice lying on three quarters of the competitive mileage, the risk to the bespoke MK2 Ford Escort, and with it the following rounds of the championship, was just too high to continue.

Competitors were even struggling to achieve enough grip to climb the slightest of inclines at some points and with rear-wheel drive only Williams and co-driver Karen Phelps returned to the service park at Chepstow Racecourse.

Describing just how difficult it was, he said: “Dancing on ice would be an understatement. Very poor conditions. We even had to be pushed by about five people just to get to the first stage start.

“I thought I would see how the second stage was before calling it a day, but that was just as bad as stage one. At least both us and the car are all in one piece and ready to go again.”

Williams, from Sturminster New-ton, began rallying back in 1985, picking up some good results over the course of the next few seasons before a massive accident in Wales enforced a lengthy break from the sport.

A return to action came in 2007 at The Bulldog Rally and this season the MK2 will benefit from a 240BHP Vauxhall engine built by Williams’ brother.

Williams will be in action again in the REIS-Get Connected BTRDA Silver Star Rally Championship on April 21, contesting the Somer-set Stages Rally based at Mine- head.

Rallying returns to the forests of Dorset on Saturday, February 25, with thousands of enthusiastic rally fans once more expected to turn out to watch the Rallye Sunseeker.

For the second year running the event is the first round of the MSA British Rally Championship and in a change to previous years the forest stages around Wareham will be run early on Saturday morning rather than around midday.