THE WIDOW of one of the volunteers lost in the Penlee lifeboat disaster 30 years ago has hit out at Government plans to scrap emergency tugs, fearing the move could lead to a similar tragedy.
Janet Madron's husband Stephen lost his life in December 1981, along with 15 other men, including eight lifeboat crew, in an attempt to rescue a stricken ship in heavy seas.
Four emergency towing vessels (ETVs) were situated around the UK coast in 1994 to respond to any shipping incident which threatens the environment following a string of similar disasters.
But the vessels, or tugs, including the Anglian Princess, which often sits in Mount's Bay, are controversially set to be decommissioned at the end of the month.
It would trigger a return to a similar system which existed at the time of the Solomon Browne tragedy, in which the responsibility for operational safety is in the hands of the commercial shipping industry.
"I know that Stephen would have opposed the plans," said Janet.
"I can remember at the time the Government took the breeches buoys away that he said lives were going to be lost, and that proved to be true.
"It's all very well politicians sitting in Parliament making this sort of decision but they are not at the sharp end."
Mrs Madron wrote a letter to David Cameron in January citing her personal concern that the decision could cause another catastrophe.
This caused Sir Alan Massey, chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, to come to Newlyn in February for private talks with concerned seafarers.
One experienced seaman, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's going to be potentially catastrophic; it could cause a Penlee lifeboat disaster again."
Mark Dickinson, general secretary of maritime union Nautilus described the decision as shocking.
"We are utterly appalled by the way in which ministers have so casually and recklessly dismissed the evidence," he said. "Nothing has changed since the disasters that resulted in the establishment of the emergency towing vessels and the Government is turning the clock back in a deeply damaging way.
"Current provisions exist because the market has failed to provide in the past, and the ministers are deluded if they seriously believe it can provide in the future. Scrapping these vital safety services is like cancelling your home insurance because you haven't been burgled in the past year."
A DfT spokesperson said: "While we recognise the concerns felt in some communities about our proposals relating to ETVs, the need to tackle the deficit means difficult decisions have to be made. The Government's position remains that state provision of ETVs does not represent a correct use of taxpayers' money and that ship salvage should be a commercial matter between a ship's operator and the salvor."
article copyright THE CORNISHMAN