Questions are being asked about the safety of a car rally in Scotland after two cars came off the road, killing three people and injuring six others.
Jim Clark Rally organisers only abandoned the event following the second crash, which took place at Little Swinton, near Coldstream, around 4pm on Saturday.
Two men, aged 73 and 71, and a 63-year-old woman - all from the Greater Glasgow area - died when the car left the road, leaving another man in a critical condition in hospital.
Sky sources understand two of the three people killed were from the same family, while the third was a photographer.
They were pronounced dead at the scene, and their bodies were expected to be removed from the site later today.
Colin Gracey, who said he saw the fatal crash, said he had safety concerns about the event.
The 46-year-old teacher has watched the race for the last 17 years at the same spot - on a hill above where the accident took place.
Police attend the crash scene in the Scottish Borders He told Sky News that in previous years, the tape was 30m from the road to keep spectators away from the speeding cars - but this time the tape was close to the road.
He also said there had previously been a steward's car at the end of the road, and whistles would go off if spectators encroached on to the road. But he claimed there was such car there and no whistles this time.
He described the accident as "horrendous", "dreadful" and "awful" and equated the rally car to a bowling ball at 100mph.
Mr Gracey said the rally car "came through at great speed and lost it on the bridge and veered right into the gap, into the field, hitting quite a few people, who stood where they shouldn't really have stood unfortunately".
"In previous rallies, the area beyond the bridge is very well marked off, taped off at least 30 metres into the field. For some reason this time the tape was just on the other side of the hedge, which made us have concerns."
The rally car was going over a hump at speed before it lost control, Sky sources understand.
Alex Salmond: "This is desperately sad and difficult news" The crash came two hours after another car left the road near Crosshall Farm, striking five people.
Three men were initially taken to Borders General Hospital, however one was later transferred to an intensive care unit in Edinburgh.
The remaining two spectators were treated for minor injuries.
Police say the two drivers involved in the crashes were unhurt.
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond expressed his condolences following the two accidents, calling them "desperately sad".
The Jim Clark Rally takes place over three days on closed roads in the Duns and Kelso areas.
The rally course is described on the event's website as having "a reputation for being fast with big jumps, ditches and hedges".
The event is named after Scottish Formula One driver Jim Clark, who was raised in the area. Clark died in a motor racing accident in Hockenheim, Germany, in 1968.
The organisers of the race expressed their "heartfelt condolences and sympathy" to the families and their friends affected by the tragic events.
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