POOLE Pirates’ meeting at Edinburgh Monarchs was abandoned on Friday night due to a “freak accident” which has left a photographer injured.

In the sixth heat of the SGB Championship contest at Armadale, Monarchs number one Craig Cook lost control on the fourth bend.

The 36-year-old went crashing to the floor, his bike flying up over the air fence, towards the media member and a lighting pole.

A lengthy delay then ensued as medics attended to both Cook and the photographer, the meeting eventually abandoned around 45 minutes later after an air ambulance and the police had been called.

Pirates led the meeting 21-9 at the time, but the result does not stand.

The meeting was being streamed live on the British Speedway Network. Commentators reported the photographer was conscious, but had suffered a large gash to his head.

Bringing a close to the show early, presenter and speedway rider Greg Blair said: “It has been a very unfortunate night and a freak accident which has happened at Armadale Stadium.”

He went on to send the channel’s best wishes to the photographer.

Edinburgh 9: C Cook 1, Borke 0, Hume 4, Pickering 1, Wood 1+1, Clegg 2.

Pirates 21: Lawson 6, Newman 3+1, B Cook 1, Z Cook 3, Worrall 3, Rowe 5+1, Roynon 0.