I WAS appalled to read in the Wirral Globe last week a story headlined Toll stalls ambulance where Mersey tunnel saw fit to delay the progress of an ambulance travelling through with a patient on board.

It transpires that the fire service is also subject to tolls when travelling through the tunnels.

Both ambulance and fire services are under extreme financial pressure, we all pay council and other taxes to fund them.

I for one want the money I pay to both used to provide and support the ambulance and fire services and not to add to the surpluses Mersey tunnel already generates.

Merseytravel says that if they were informed in advance they would have let the ambulance through.

A typical bureaucrat's answer. Perhaps ambulance staff have better things to do than keep tunnel managers informed.

There is no requirement for the tunnels to charge emergency services - it is a policy decision for them and their current policy has failed.

I have started an online petition calling for free access for emergency vehicles at all time and urge Globe readers to sign here - tinyurl.com/freeaccessforemergencyvehicles

Stuart Kelly, Oxton.