Unsung heroes keeping us safe

The surreal events of last Saturday on the M20 will long remain in the minds of many of how close the county came to a major disaster. They will also be a reminder to many of the unsung heroes of the emergency services who gave up their Bank Holiday weekend to restore order and care for those affected.

Police, special constables, fire officers, paramedics and workers and engineers from Highways England responded quickly and efficiently to the disaster in a way which showcases the robust strength of the county’s emergency planning and the good ties they maintain with local authorities.

Water was handed out and motorists freed from the chaos in just over an hour

Just over 24 hours later the motorway was up and running again.

The bridge collapse could have been far more serious, as seen in similar incident in 1971 when one construction worker tragically died and 40 others were buried under tonnes of debris when the bridge over Ditton bypass collapsed.

Two more cases in Dartford in 1969 and 1977 were equally serious.

It is comforting to know that if the worst had happened, the people of Kent can rely on their professionalism and integrity.

But it is worth remembering that every day across Kent, these men and women are out there protecting us and their job is never done.

Even now, officers from Serious Collision Investigation Unit will be examining the wrecking to piece together what happened and hopefully prevent anything like it from happening again.