A GROUP concerned with the operations of Menwith Hill surveillance

station has backed a letter asking Prime Minister Tony Blair for more information about the American base.

At its last meeting, Menwith Hill Forum was told by a Harrogate councillor that the base had been discussed in great detail recently by Harrogate Council's Cabinet members.

As a result the council had sent a letter to Tony Blair seeking more information on what work the Menwith Hill base does and relayed its concerns over its potential expansion. The United States proposes to include part of its 'son of Star Wars' missile defence system at the base.

Forum chairman Councillor John Eveleigh (Labour, Otley Town Council) said: "We wholeheartedly welcome the recent decision by Harrogate Council to write to the Prime Minister wanting to know what goes on at the base.

"The forum has been campaigning for the past two years for greater accountability and transparency at Menwith Hill. We have deep concerns over 'son of Star Wars' and the escalation of Yorkshire as a possible terrorist attack.

"A considerable number of forum members live in the Harrogate district and we hope that Harrogate Council will continue to reflect its concerns over the base by being involved in the forum."

Councillor Les Ellington (Lib Dem) will attend future forum meetings.

The forum also heard that the European Parliament's temporary committee on the Echelon system - a system which allegedly intercepts faxes, phone calls and emails at Menwith Hill - is hoping to visit Yorkshire to conduct a hearing in Otley. It is hoped that the meeting will be held late next month.

The committee is due to report in September and has held hearings in several countries concerned about this system.

The forum hopes to hold a second public meeting in Harrogate in late July with speakers discussing the national missing defence system and Echelon.