THREE-TIME world champion and former Pirates star Jason Crump is to make a sensational return to British racing with Ipswich.

Crump, 44, retired from the sport at the end of the 2012 season and has not raced regularly in the UK for over a decade – but he was back on a bike in the recent Australia/GB fixtures in Perth.

Now the Witches have pulled off a remarkable coup by tempting him to Foxhall.

Crump was named in Pirates line-ups in 1991, 1994, 1995 and 2007 and scored 1,596 points from 641 rides in the skull and crossbones.

Speaking about his sensational return, the Australian star said: “It was a good bunch of guys there (in Perth) and I really enjoyed it.

“Considering I had not been on bike for quite a while I ended up doing half okay.

“When I came back from there, I started getting some phone calls and proper interest. Your life leads you down different paths at different times and it seems the right thing to do.

“I am really excited to be doing it, I am a bit nervous at the same time but in 10 years’ time I will be too old to do it again.

“So the feeling is there is to do it again, then I guess I have to do it sooner rather than later and I feel like I do want to do it.”