Disaster in waiting

SIR – Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the occasion when a colliery spoil tip slipped and killed 116 children and 28 adults living in the Welsh village of Aberfan.

The disaster was caused by tipping relatively impermeable spoil on to water seepage emerging from the hillside. The consequent pressure increase in the sealed-off groundwater provoked the collapse.

One would hope that lessons have since been learnt. However, the Isle of Wight Undercliff is host to the biggest active semi-urban landslip complex in Europe, which continues to be reactivated at frequent intervals.

The fact that none of the Undercliff ’s components are manmade does not absolve engineers and politicians from their responsibility to stabilise the landslip by implementing simple drainage measures to relieve the groundwater pressure. This action would remove the threat of further road closures, extensive loss of properties and, potentially, loss of life. Whitwell, Isle of Wight