Candid Caller

THE OPENING of the Channel tunnel has been delayed at least seven months. Candid Caller phoned long-suffering residents of Kent - the Garden of England being dug up for the tunnel - and asked: are you sad the tunnel has been held up, and will you ever use it?

Mrs Gillian Late of Dover: 'I don't care when the tunnel is opened, I don't believe it should have been dug. Living right on top of the thing I don't agree with it. The double entrance isn't far from our home and all the main roads are being diverted through our estates in Dover - the roadworks, as you can imagine, are horrendous. I definitely won't use the tunnel - I don't like being closed in. I'd much rather go by ferry and I'm not a good sailor, either.'

Mrs Angela Quaye of Cheriton, Folkestone: 'I'm not sad that the opening has been delayed. I really can't be bothered about it. We have lived in Cheriton about 10 years and sometimes do day-trips to France, but never take the car.'

Mrs Alison Ferry of Thanet: 'It doesn't worry me that the opening has been delayed. I use the ferries about once a year and I'll give the tunnel a try when it's finished.'

Mrs Delice Knott of Canterbury: 'I'm not sad about the delay. To be quite honest, we don't approve of it at all. We like to be a little island, we've always been an island and we like to be independent of Europe. When the tunnel is open I can say we will definitely not use it, we'll still go by ferry. (What is the origin of your first name?) Ha] I think it's French.'

Mr Ray Dennis, landlord of the Ship Inn, Deal: 'I am sad that the opening has been delayed, for two reasons: I think it's a fantastic piece of engineering and to have it not working is rather sad, and I'm also pro-European and think it's necessary. Having had many times when the weather was so bad that we've been unable to travel, I've often wished there was a tunnel to get home quicker. I'd love to go through it to see what it's like when it is open, depending on how much it's going to cost.'

Mrs Mary Shippobottom of Margate: 'I'm not sad the opening has been delayed. I've never been struck on the idea of being underground, in case something happened. At the moment I wouldn't use it, but that might change if it earns a good safety record.'

Mrs Celia Overland of Canterbury: 'I'm not sad about the delay, it won't affect me one way or another. I go over to France about once a year and I shall probably use the tunnel - if I live to see the completion of it.'