Bishop makes plea for 'truth'

The Bishop of St Albans told a packed memorial to the victims of the Potters Bar crash that "truth and moral courage of the highest order" would be needed to establish the cause of the accident.

Speaking on the "vital need" for the truth behind the crash to become known, the Rt Rev Christopher Herbert said: "I refer, of course, to the official inquiries which have already begun, and the rumours and counter-rumours, to accusations about neglect and to accusations about sabotage."

In his no-holds-barred address the Bishop also criticised "structural fatigue" - including intense pressure on transport workers - that had led to "cracks" in the rail industry.

People were working "too hard, too fast, too long, under too much pressure", he said. "What we need is a national consensus, from the top down, saying, 'Ease up.'"

About 90 friends and relatives of the dead were among more than 700 people who attended the service at St Mary the Virgin and All Saints Church in Potters Bar yesterday.