Parents use video to dispute school races

in order to prove that their child should have been awarded a higher position in a particular race, and comments also appeared on Facebook.’’

Others described the parents’ behaviour as appalling, and accused them of ‘‘setting a terrible example’’.

Chris Mcgovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘‘The most important lesson that children should be taught is to respect the decision of the referee or judge. This behaviour is shocking, and it is a sad reflection of parenting . . . that some people are so caught up in whether their kids come a second ahead in the three-legged race.’’

Ysgol Mynydd Bychan, a Welsh-language school with 200 pupils, holds sports day at the National Indoor Athletics Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Evans said there was ‘‘a strong possibility’’ that the school would have to consider changing the ‘‘competitive nature of our sports morning’’ if parents flouted the rules. – The Times Sniffer dogs will patrol the royal enclosure at Ascot next week as racegoers face new security measures, including breathalysers, in an attempt to prevent drug abuse, drunkenness and violence.

Drugs have been a problem on British racecourses, along with drunkenness, which has been blamed for a number of incidents, including brawls at Ascot and Goodwood last month.

Although the royal enclosure, which will be visited by the Queen and other members of the royal family, is hardly renowned for misbehaviour – hemlines and hats are usually given more attention – authorities said the measures would apply to all enclosures at the meeting.

A team of at least 20 police sniffer dogs will be used to catch people in possession of illegal drugs. They will patrol key areas, including queues for lavatories, entry points outside the course and public bars. Anyone found in possession of illegal drugs at the meeting, at which more than 300,000 racegoers are expected over five days, will be refused entry or expelled.

Sniffer dogs have been used at Doncaster and York, and were in action at Ascot last month.

Anyone appearing to be drunk at the turnstiles will be breathalysed, and refused entry if they fail the test. However, there are no plans to conduct breath tests inside the course.

Amnesty boxes will be placed outside the course for racegoers to deposit illegal substances before they go in. Ascot is also doing away with ‘‘beer hawkers’’, who carry beer on their backs to sell in the crowds.

Guy Henderson, chief executive of the Berkshire racecourse, said: ‘‘We want all guests to feel comforted and reassured.’’

– The Times