WE have been here before. Campaigners claim that RAF Fylingdales is to be upgraded for use in a new US weapons system.

Yet official British channels airily dismiss this by saying America knows what it is doing.

Why should we believe them? For years it was common knowledge that the US military wanted to use Fylingdales as part of its missile defence programme.

There was a huge outcry, channelled by our No To Son Of Star Wars campaign.

The arguments against the idea were compelling. Missile defence was an unproven, multi-billion dollar folly which, even if it did eventually work, would offer little protection to anywhere outside the US itself.

A system designed to shoot down missiles from "rogue states" was aimed at the wrong target. Far more real is the threat from terrorists who can cause devastation armed only with box knives.

American military experts and MPs backed a protest by thousands of North Yorkshire residents who realised that the move would make Fylingdales a target for anyone planning a military attack on the West.

For months the Government simply repeated the mantra that it had received no official approach about a Fylingdales upgrade from the US. It was the clumsiest cover-up, an insult to our intelligence.

Eventually Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon sneaked out confirmation as MPs broke up for their Christmas recess.

This shoddy behaviour, followed by revelations about the "sexing up" of the case for war in Iraq, has led to deep public suspicion of the British Government.

If ministers are to regain some trust they must start being open with us. Ministers should begin by revealing exactly what is planned for Fylingdales, and follow that with US-style briefings on the precise nature of the present terrorist threat against Britain.

Updated: 11:16 Wednesday, August 04, 2004