Bookmakers stung as greyhound betting scam beats the Racing Post.

From 1998.

Bookmakers around the country were yesterday counting the cost of a partially successful betting coup involving the publication of incorrect greyhound racing results in the Racing Post newspaper.

The results of four races at Saturday night's meetings at Reading and Yarmouth were tampered with before publication of yesterday's edition of the paper and resulted in bookmakers in east Yorkshire and London paying out thousands of pounds in incorrect w innings.

However, the unusual pattern of bets placed caused an investigation among layers, most of whom withheld payment.

The newspaper itself has launched an investigation, with the Metropolitan Police being asked to look at the matter.

A statement was last night issued to the Press Association by Alan Byrne, the Racing Post's editor.

It said: "We have asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the publication of incorrect results for four greyhound races in Monday's Racing Post.

"The results of the races two at Yarmouth on Saturday and two at Reading on the same evening were received correctly from the Press Association. The data for the four races (the names of three winners and one starting price) appears to have been tampered with prior to publication.

"After being alerted by the betting industry to an unusual pattern of betting on the races in question, we conducted an internal investigation this morning. Following completion of that initial investigation, it was decided to inform the Metropolitan Pol ice immediately of our concerns."There has never been a similar incident in the 12-year history of the Racing Post. Steps are being taken further to safeguard the integrity of the enormous amount of data on greyhound racing which appears every day in the Racing Post."

Possibly the biggest sufferer was independent layer Janet Alexander, who trades under the name Ted Hornby Racing in the small coastal town of Withernsea, near Hull.

Staff at the tiny shop paid out pounds 2,000 on a pounds 10 treble to a mystery punter who arrived at the premises soon after opening time. Mrs Alexander said: "My manageress checked the results in the Post and thought they were genuine. The bet wasn't u nusual to us because being in a seaside town, we have visitors from all over the country and take dog bets at all meetings."

The same bet was attempted at Hulased Rossy Brothers at their shop in Hedon, 14 miles inland from Withernsea.

It is believed the same punter came to collect his "winnings", however, the shop had insufficient funds to pay him out and though asked to return to be paid out, he failed to do so.

Several Coral shops in the Essex area were also targeted in the scam.

Bets on the races were placed in Barking, Dagenham and Romford but staff were alerted when a manager became suspicious.

"The bets were mainly small stakes of between pounds 2.50 and pounds 10 on doubles, trebles and accumulators and we paid out a couple of hundred pounds," said the firm's spokesman Malcolm Palmer.

"But after a conversation with a colleague one of our managers became suspicious and informed head office."

William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said the company had laid "a couple of bets" in both Hull and north London, adding: "The problem is that without the Sporting Life there is no way of cross-checking the results at these provincial meetings."

A spokeswoman at the Scotland Yard press office said last night: "Police at Limehouse police station have received an informal allegation of a possible deception. It has not yet been formally reported as a crime."