SAVE ASHFORD EUROSTAR CAMPAIGN GOES TO 10 DOWNING STREET

4.55.35pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 6th Jul 2007

Edith Robson, Damian Green MP, Peter Skinner MEP and Sharon Bowles MEP hand in the petition to the policeman at the door of 10 Downing Street

Lib Dem MEP for Kent, Sharon Bowles, joined a delegation of campaigners to present a 15,000 strong petition to 10, Downing Street this morning.

The petition calls for international train services to Paris and Brussels to be safeguarded. The campaign was prompted by an announcement from Eurostar that it was slashing the number of services to Paris, and stopping the direct Brussels service, from Ashford.

Sharon Bowles was joined by Damian Green, Conservative MP for Ashford, Peter Skinner, Labour MEP for the South East, Edith Robson, a spirited Ashford campaigner, and several other campaigners from special interest groups.

Sharon said "I truly hope that Eurostar will finally wake up and listen to what Kent and Sussex residents think of their plans to downgrade Ashford to a semi-international station at best.

"The British Government must intervene and join the cross-party calls for Eurostar to commit long term to Ashford as an international hub. I still have hundreds of petitions coming into my office - it is clear that people feel very deeply on this issue."