Bushby tells Channel Tunnel: 'Don't kill my dream'

A British adventurer has urged Channel Tunnel bosses to reconsider their decision not to allow him access, enabling him to complete his 28-year walk.

Karl Bushby, 57, set off from Chile in 1998 and has reached Belgium. Under the terms of his challenge, he is unable to use transport to reach his home city of Hull, in East Yorkshire.

The former paratrooper expects to reach Calais, France, in September, where he had hoped to use a service tunnel to return to the UK, but on Tuesday Eurotunnel told him his request had been declined due to safety and operational reasons.

In response, Bushby said it was his "sincere wish" that bosses reconsidered. The BBC has contacted Eurotunnel for a response.

Bushby has travelled through some of the world's most inhospitable terrain, including the frozen Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia, and the infamous Darién Gap between Colombia and Panama.

But he faces the prospect of the challenge stalling or ending unfinished at the final hurdle.

Bushby said: "We greatly appreciate Eurotunnel reviewing my request to cross through the Channel Tunnel to arrive on UK soil for the first time in 28 years and understand that they have many variables to consider.

"We remain hopeful that we can continue a dialogue and arrive at a solution that would address any concerns they have."

He said the journey to date "wouldn't have been possible without the assistance of many organisations and governments along the way".

Bushby added: "It's my sincere wish that Eurotunnel will reconsider and assist me in completing the final few miles of the journey. We need their help to make this dream come true."

On Tuesday, a Eurotunnel spokesperson said: "The Channel Tunnel's Service Tunnel is a dedicated safety and maintenance route. Closing the Service Tunnel for a period of 15 hours, or over two days, would pose a safety risk to passenger services and impact essential maintenance work.

"Access is also tightly controlled and any activity within it requires detailed planning and specialist support."

On learning of Eurotunnel's decision, Bushby told the BBC he would swim the Channel if he had to in order to complete his journey.

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