A vicar has accused Highways England of lying about plans for the Lower Thames Crossing.

During a public meeting Highways was accused of ‘selling’ Option C by being extremely liberal with the truth and deliberately selective with the facts.

Standing in front of the crowd, the Rev Nigel Bourne, vicar of St Mary the Virgin Church, Chalk, said; “What we have here is not a consultation document, it is a brochure.

“You’re trying to sell us this option but not telling us all the details.

“Just look at the pictures of those tunnels. Doesn’t it look lovely? Goodness, I might even get a caravan and go and pitch up there for a holiday.

“What it doesn’t show you is the pump house, the electricity substation, the huge extractor fans that will need to be put in place and make it much less attractive.

“You’re selling us a lie.

“You’ve picked certain data from the 2009 report but ignored the consultation on that, when only 6% of people wanted the crossing here but 20% wanted it at Dartford.

“What makes you think people have any confidence that you will listen to them now, when you didn’t the last time?”

Highways England project director Mike Brown said: “It’s a case of getting what facts out we can as quickly as we can, rather than put everything out but leaving it another 12 months. That’s the information we have at the moment, but there will be edits on the design.”