Having just crossed the old Severn crossing back to Chepstow for the first time since the toll rose to £6 I was just speculating how much it would get up to by 2017 when the present regime has to hand it back to the Government, when a disturbing thought occurred to me.

Do I not remember that several years ago there was some worry about the state of the suspension cables?

Were they not rusting and individual wires were snapping?

Action was to be taken to dry them with a form of dehumidifier, but I never remember hearing that it had worked and all was well. So come 2017 will we suddenly find that the tolls will have to continue at whatever exorbitant rate they will have by then reached in order to pay for strengthening work or new cables or whatever?

Or can somebody allay my fears?

– Henry Hodges, Mount Pleasant, Chepstow.