THE AA has condemned the eight-year-old Medway Tunnel as one of the nine worst on the continent, blaming a lack of management and outdated equipment for its poor safety.

They have inspected 51 tunnels across Europe this year. The worst is one in Italy. Medway Tunnel is described as "very poor" and a medium risk.

CCTV coverage, poor training for tunnel staff, lack of permanent supervision, and an inability to close down the tunnel in the event of a fire are among the criticisms that are made in Thursday's report.

The European Tunnel Assessment Programme (EuroTAP) began in 2000 following the Mont Blanc tunnel disaster when 39 people died.

The inspetors said: "British tunnels have a good safety record, and good management has helped UK tunnels achieve reasonable scores for our generally older tunnels. Medway bucks this trend."

The allegations have been accepted by the council’s Highways Manager, Phil Moore. He said that Medway Council has already begun taking measures to address the failings.

He said: "It was designed with mid-Eighties technology. It is 20 years out of date."

The CCTV system, tunnel controls, and fire alarms will be replaced as part of a £1million investment over the next two years.

* FULL REPORT AND FACTFILES IN THIS WEEK'S MEDWAY MESSENGER.