Police brakes on fast life of filthy rich

It was an illegal high-speed road race called the Gumball Rally and it attracted some of Britain's tiresome types - the new-money bovver boys with their fast cars.

It began in Spain and ended on an autobahn in Germany, where angry police slapped two reckless participants with fines totalling $90,000.

The two men, London nightclub owner Tom Combrinck and gold bullion trader Brett Trevillian, had been driving their Ferraris at speeds of more than 300 km/h before German police blocked off an autobahn and ended what they described as one of the longest, fastest and most dangerous car chases recorded in Germany.

The arrest of Combrinck and Trevillian and subsequent details of the rally prompted the Times of London to say that organised yobbery had crossed the class divide.

Combrinck and Trevillian were among 70 participants in the loosely organised Cannonball-style event, which blasted through Spain, France, Italy and Germany and unsettled police, motorists and other law-abiders.

The race started last year but gained such a reckless reputation that the second running became a must-do social event for many of Britain's filthy rich and famous - financial whizkids, entrepreneurs, showbiz types and the odd mogul.

The madness began at a Spanish airport, where the participants and their sporty cars had been flown.

There, said the Times, between take-offs and landings at the busy airport, two of the visitors amused themselves by racing their Ferraris along the strip at speeds of 280 km/h.

The Gumballers headed for the narrow twisting roads of the Pyrenees, scaring other motorists witless as they dashed around blind corners at three times the speed limit.

Socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and a London financial journalist were among those caught speeding in the run to Cannes.

"We had convoys of several cars each doing more than 240 km/h," said one oaf.

The brakes went on when the rally roared over the border into Germany, home of unrestricted autobahns and usually quite generous to those who want to travel quickly but also responsibly.

The sound and fury of two V12 Ferraris overtaking on inner and outer lanes, speeding along the hard shoulder and straddling lane markings rattled the usually understanding German police.

The two pursuing patrol cars expired in their fruitless chase of the disappearing Ferraris. The police then resorted to blocking the autobahn and all exits to stop and arrest the rich British bovver boys.

Combrinck and Trevillian showed neither contrition nor concern for the lives they put at risk.

"Until we were stopped it was a fantastic drive," Combrinck said. "In Germany I got up to 330 km/h. The police cars were behind us for the best part of 160km - we were filming them on video camera."