A NORTH YORKS Euro MP has pledged to keep up the pressure over the use of Fylingdales as part of the controversial US anti-missile system.

David Bowe, Euro-MP for Yorkshire and Humber, said the recent willingness of the station commander at Fylingdales to allow campaigners to tour the base was a welcome development.

But what really mattered was getting clear answers from both the UK and US governments about their plans for using the stations as part of the controversial Son of Star Wars anti-missile system.

He said: "Guided tours for a handful of people are one thing, allowing people to be given the full facts and to have their voices heard in the debate over the implications of allowing Fylingdales, and almost certainly Menwith Hill as well, to become part of the anti-missile system, is what really matters.

"Apart form the fact that there remain serious questions about whether the project is actually technically feasible and can provide anything like adequate protection from a major missile attack, the people in the communities most directly affected need information and reassurance.

"The recent confirmation that North Yorkshire Police, with funding from the Government, are strengthening their counter terrorist unit in order to protect bases such as these, demonstrates why people are afraid that the risk of the area becoming a target for attack will increase significantly if their involvement in the project is given the go-ahead."

He added: "It is now up to ministers to listen to those concerns, recognise their validity and take them into account before writing a blank cheque for the Americans."