I AM sorry I need to write a second time on the subject but Nigel Wright (Letters, August 28) has added two and two, come up with five and decided to write about it.

Firstly when I stated “we see a disproportionate number of accidents involving foreign drivers” it wasn’t a UKIP blanket statement, but my own observation.

I am a HGV recovery driver working for a Forest-based company that deals with the majority of HGV accidents in Gloucestershire. Therefore it is a subject I feel I am qualified to write about.

My colleagues and I actually cleared up the mess made by the over-height truck that hit Broadoak bridge on the A48 – that is how I know the driver was foreign, I spoke to him.

That is how I know the British registered-truck was clearly marked 15ft 3in, I recovered it to our depot.

I also know that a high proportion of HGV accidents and driver faux pas involve foreign drivers, because I am there.

I have made the assumption that the whole of the UK shows a similar picture to Gloucestershire, unless Mr Wright knows any different.

Sorry not to supply actual statistics but without proper border controls there aren’t any accurate figures of how many European HGV drivers are working in the UK.

It is widely accepted within the road transport industry, and was also mentioned by another contributor, a DSA (Driving Standards Agency) driving assessor, in these columns, that many European professional drivers are not up to the standards of their British counterparts.

Secondly, the letter concerned HGVs and the drivers thereof, I made no reference to foreign leisure drivers because to my knowledge there isn’t a problem with them but you made the assumption I and UKIP will wreck our tourist industry.

As for reducing the quantity of foreign-registered lorries on our roads, if our country wasn’t bound by EU rules the playing field could be levelled. Continental trucks not only collect and deliver imports and exports but they take away work from our haulage firms running on our roads moving loads within UK (cabotage).

They contribute nothing in road tax (UK trucks pay up to £1,850 per annum).

They are very often fitted with huge belly tanks of diesel so no need to refuel in Britain.

The design of many continental trucks is also more damaging to our highways than the vehicles made for the British market.

Just another example of the damage caused to the UK by our membership of EU.

– Cllr Alan Grant, (UKIP), Forest of Dean District Council, Blakeney and Bream.