EMERGENCY services dealt with a simulated multiple vehicle crash and fire in the A3 Hindhead Tunnel at the end of last month.

Both tunnel bores were closed overnight for the full-scale safety exercise, on October 30. It was held to test the response from tunnel operators and emergency services dealing with a road traffic collision and fire inside the tunnel.

During the emergency planning exercise – while the tunnel operators were responding to an initial collision – a second crash was simulated further back with a vehicle catching fire and filling the tunnel with smoke.

The mock crashes involved two cars, a pick-up truck and a lorry.

Ollie Brown from the Highways England emergency planning team said: “We tested our procedures for dealing with a major incident inside the A3 Hindhead tunnels during the exercise.

“The professionalism of all who took part in this successful exercise gives us confidence we are ready to deal with a major incident inside the tunnels.

“We will review the exercise to see how anything could have been done better to further improve our contingency plans.

“We would like to thank drivers for their patience during the closure and reassure them we are ready in the event of a major incident.”

The exercise was attended by the tunnel operators, fire and rescue and ambulance crews plus police forces from Surrey and Hampshire, who would be called in the event of a real incident inside the tunnel.

A full-scale exercise is carried out every four years as a legal requirement.

The tunnel has been besieged by a series of unexplained faults in recent months that have led to the tunnel being closed at short notice, and which have angered villagers in Thursley, who bear the brunt of the traffic diversions.