MAIDSTONE and Weald MP Ann Widdecombe has warned the benefits of the Channel Tunnel rail link to Kent could be undermined by plans to slash other domestic services.

The MP said she had always believed the rail link would be beneficial to the county but those advantages were now being threatened by the controversial shake-up set out by the Strategic Rail Authority.

Speaking at a Kent property investors’ fair at the hop farm at Beltring, near East Peckham, the MP said: “I have always thought the rail link would be a plus for Kent.

"I have never had any doubt about that. You need something efficient and which can bring people from Europe through to London and beyond that.

"I think we actually could have made more of the opportunities when it was first mooted, particularly in terms of encouraging people to stop off in Kent.”

However, she said any advantages could be compromised by the SRA’s proposals, which now threatened to end scores of services and make it more difficult to encourage visitors to the county.

“We are getting our act together and there seem to be some improvements on what was the Connex South East franchise. Now is not the time to be talking about running down services.”