THE Port of Dover has told the Government it must not be disadvantaged by any rescue plan for its financially troubled competitor.

Chief executive Bob Goldfield said: "Based on financial justification we all know that the Channel Tunnel should never have been built in the first place.

"Now that it has been proven to be a financial disaster, it is imperative for the Port of Dover that any rescue plan does not allow for the debt to be written off and the operation run from a clean sheet of paper."

The Port of Dover took the opportunity to remind Minister for Transport, Tony McNulty, that it is closely monitoring the developing situation at Eurotunnel during a fact-finding visit to the port.

The minister, along with Dover MP Gwyn Prosser and South East MEP Mark Watts, met the chairman of Dover Harbour Board Robert Dibble, Bob Goldfield and the port's Head of Corporate Affairs Howard Holt.

The port team had a list of rail and road issues to discuss, including the fact that Dover must be connected to London with a passenger rail journey time of one hour, and the need to improve the rail network between Dover and London to allow the development of inter-modal rail freight services using both the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the existing lines.

Also on the list was the need to upgrade the A20 by the addition of crawler lanes on the steep gradients between Dover and Folkestone.

Mr Goldfield added: "We are following up this discussion with the Minister by holding a further round of meetings with the Strategic Rail Authority and the Highways Agency who are the government's delivery agencies for rail and roads."