Letter: Tunnel not the worst risk

Sir: That the fire in the Channel Tunnel was a serious event there can be no doubt, but hasn't this one incident been blown up out of all proportion? Vast numbers of people and vast tonnages of freight have used the tunnel since it opened without mishap until then. By all accounts the emergency procedures worked satisfactorily; everyone was evacuated and there was no loss of life. The very same day one lorry driver was sadly killed and three others seriously injured in an accident on the M6.

I and my family have used the tunnel on a number of occasions and accept the fact that all travel involves risk. However, I remain convinced that the risks involved in travelling through the Channel Tunnel are minimal when compared with the risks involved in driving from our home to the Folkestone terminal via the M25 and M20.

N E I McNEILL

Dorking, Surrey