Regarding the recent Saltash Tunnel rockfall and the public meeting which you reported as having taken place on 26 Oct 99, we were told that in attendance were two senior officials, from the Highways Agency and from Cornwall County Council.

Also present were two policemen, one being a constable. The police representatives are reported as having said that after they had become aware, at about 1915 hrs, Tuesday 5 Oct 99, of the rockfall, 'all the right services had been put into operation' and 'notices had also been put up'. They also said that, the following morning, traffic jams had built up and that nothing could be done' because everything was stationary'.

Are we right, I wonder, in assuming, as I have always done, that the free movement of traffic on public roads comes within the orbit of functions to be exercised by the police - 'maintenance of law and order'. Or is there perhaps, in this respect, also some statutory obligation on the part of the Highways Agency? If, in fact, there is some over-lapping of responsibility then surely it is time this aspect was sorted out? In the case under review, if it was entirely the responsibility of the police to see that traffic moved as freely as possible then surely it was also their duty to pass on to the public such information as would help to achieve this objective.

Sensible and timely display of notices and warnings via broadcast media, Ceefax, Teletext and motoring organisations might have lessened the chances of jams occurring.

For any prospective Tamar Bridge users coming from west of Landrake several reasonable alternative options were a possibility had they been put in the picture. But my impression is that most early morning east-bound commuters set out from home in blissful ignorance of possible hold-ups or, if they did know, were confident the police would see them through. It is to be hoped that whoever is in charge of Operations Division, Police HQ Exeter, will have looked at the way local staff dealt with this episode, so that lessons may be learnt for the future.

Also I would have thought some sort of statement was due from a person higher up the scale than the PC who attended the meeting.

GODFREY WYCISK

Callington.