A charity runner unwittingly sparked an emergency investigation by Marathon Derby officials after a spectator fingered him as a cheat.

Antoine Kent was spotted joining Monday's race at the north roundabout near Crow Lane by an eagle-eyed off-duty policeman who saw him disappear among spectators and then emerge taking the plaudits of the crowd along his "shortened route''.

The officer was enraged that Kent, who was ultimately credited with finishing 284th in the race, had only completed a small part of the course.

Unknown to him -- and to the race's chief organiser Richard Tucker-- Kent and 14 others from Miss T's gymnasium in Court Street, Hamilton, had been given special dispensation to run the 13.3-mile race as a relay team to raise money for the Island's Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The alert was sounded when the officer, who asked not to be named, contacted the Royal Gazette . He told the newspaper: "The lead runners had passed through when I and my friends saw a lime green convertible car pull up at the roundabout, behind the police barriers. The male driver stepped out and his lady passenger took over the wheel and drove off. The man then started walking west along The Lane through the many spectators gathered there.

"I returned to watch the remaining runners when after about a minute I noticed a man running in a small group off The Lane into Crow Lane. It was the very same gentleman that I had just seen jumping out of his convertible at the roundabout.'' "What really got me was he was happy to accept and enjoy the appreciative plaudits of those gathered along his shortened route.'' Of further concern, said the officer, was the fact that the runner was wearing a vest championing the cause of the charity.

He added: "I can only hope the runner had not been pledged money by family, friends and colleagues to complete the Somerset to Hamilton route. If so, then he has surely committed a criminal offence.'' The first Kent knew about the furore his innocent part in the race had caused was when he was contacted by Tucker at his workplace.

He said: "I was surprised because I said: `What have I done wrong?' I was just dropped off at the point nearest to where I was supposed to pick up the race. I'm relieved it's all been straightened out now.'' After carrying out his probe, Tucker confirmed: "There was nothing wrong. Mr.

Kent was part of a relay team and was due to join the race at that time.'' But he admitted he would have to hold a further meeting with members of the race committee to discuss whether allowing relay teams to enter denigrated it in any way.

He said: " I realise it was for charity and I am not against people running for charity.

"We're all aware of multiple sclerosis and I'm certainly happy for people to help out. But we have to think deeply about whether relays should happen in the future.

"I was off the Island until the day of the race and in my absence someone gave them permission to run as a team.'' But the fact there was a relay means the final overall placings of hundreds of runners may be inaccurate.

The official results listed all the runners who crossed the finish line and did not differentiate between the ones who were only completing the anchor leg of a relay.

Kent was listed as having finished in a time of 2:05:04.

It was not immediately clear last night which of the more than two dozen MS runners were part of the relay.