 WELSH secretary Peter Hain had to be rescued by a Special Branch helicopter after a rally car he was navigating ran out of petrol on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Special branch detectives became concerned that the cabinet minister, who is also the Northern Ireland Secretary, failed to return from a stage of a Rally Ireland event. An air and land search was mounted and Mr Hain was brought back by helicopter. Mr Hain was accompanying veteran rally driver Billy Coleman when their car ran out of petrol on the Donegal and Fermanagh border - a traditional area of Irish republican activity. The minister, a rally fan, revealed the story to members of the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs. Mr Hain and Mr Coleman were in one of a number of cars which go ahead of the competitors and drive at rally speeds to ensure the route has no obstructions. Their Subaru Impreza car ran out of petrol several kilometres before the stage ended. In a light-hearted speech, Mr Hain said his close protection unit became somewhat panicked that the Secretary of State was stuck in the countryside without security. He told his audience the helicopter was sent for him, while Mr Coleman had to wait with the car for petrol to arrive. A spokesman for Mr Hain told the Daily Post: "It was a private helicopter - there was no expense to the taxpayer. "There was no kind of crash or incident of that kind. They simply ran out of petrol. There was no risk to his safety." Mr Hain took part in the event along the border in March. Gavin McAllister, marketing manager of Rally Ireland, said: "As a true fan of motorsport, Peter Hain would be unfazed by a minor hitch - the rally goes on". | 
