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Dear Editor

Can I first say a big thank you to all those people who have contributed to the petition especially all those who have sent me sheets without saying who had done all the work.

What could Eurostar possibly do but try to denigrate the petition? If they can play the statistical game so can we.

Yes, 8,000 may represent 0.1% of passenger journeys. But we did not ask folk to sign for each journey they had made in the last twelve months. Many, many people travel at least weekly. If the 8,000 signatories did so that would be 400,000 journeys i.e. 80% of the half million done from Ashford last year.

I hope Eurostar's comments made you furious because that was just the first salvo.

We will continue to gather signatures so we can take the petition to the European parliament.

So we need your continued help and support.

Eurostar has not consulted its passengers.

They say their research is based on where people live. How did they come by that knowledge? They can only have the addresses of their Frequent Travellers.

Passengers are doing their own survey. Only 10% of the people who have taken part would consider using Ebbsfleet. This is backed up by the results of KCCs online poll. This is the inverse of the Eurostar statistic.

Eurostar says it can review the situation as the market changes. Why should we believe this? If they force us all to drive to Ebbsfleet how will they ever know that we want to use Ashford instead.

If Eurostar says it can review the situation later, it can do so now, before it causes untold damage to businesses and distress to its passengers.

If you would like to help the campaign please contact Edith Robson on email wheesht37@yahoo.co.uk .

A draught letter or email is available for you to copy if required.

You can also sign a similar but different petition on the 10 Downing Street site.

We will not be ignored.

Edith Robson