shipping lines are already queuing up to try to outbid each other to become the first oper-ators at the planned controversial Dibden Bay container terminal on Southampton Water, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The news comes as Associated British Ports, owner and operator of Southampton's booming docks, hit back angrily at New Forest East MP Julian Lewis because of his continuing campaign against the multi-million-pound scheme.

In his latest move, the Conservative MP has written to five financial institutions with major holdings in the company suggesting they should "ask some searching questions of ABP's management" about the Dibden Bay development.

In his letter, Dr Lewis claims that even if Dibden Bay is constructed it will be a "white elephant'' as it will not be able to handle future large container-ships. He suggests the development should take place at Shell Haven within the port of London.

But Captain Jimmy Chestnutt, project manager and Southampton harbourmaster, said: "Dr Lewis has recently made a number of inaccurate comments about ABP's proposals for developing terminal facilities at Dibden Bay.

"While we respect his right to form an opinion of the proposals once they have been submitted, we feel that it is time to address the main issue that he continues to raise in the face of both fact and common sense.

"If Dibden Bay is such an unattractive site, Dr Lewis may like to wonder why a number of major shipping lines and consortia are already bidding for options to operate the terminal's first berths.

"Dr Lewis can be certain that in making their business plans, these large international companies will have looked carefully at issues such as marine access, as well as the suitability of road and rail links.

"This is not a competition between sites, or, indeed, an either/or situation.

"Dibden Bay is needed for Southampton. London's needs and those of the Port of London Authority are for them to argue.''

The MP has written to five institutional sharehold-ers - Schroder Investment Management Limited, Prudential Assurance, Threadneedle Asset Manager, Fidelity Investment Services Limited and Axa Sun Asset Management - who between them own almost 40 per cent of ABP's stock.

"I have no compunction about writing to these investors, even though they are risk-takers by profession,'' said Dr Lewis.

"It is only right that the people who are going to put up a large proportion of the money for any container port at Dibden Bay should be aware of its adverse effects on our communities, the degree of opposition it is generating and the likelihood that, even when constructed, it will be unable to handle the largest of the new generation of container ships.''

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.