The UK tunnels inspected are well managed, but they haven't had the investment they need to keep them as safe as they could be

AA policy director John Dawson

The more recently built Mersey Kingsway tunnel was one of only eight across Europe to be labelled "good".

But the German inspectors, commissioned by European motoring groups including the AA, praised all three UK tunnels for having procedures in place to deal with emergencies and the passage of hazardous goods.

The policy director of the AA, John Dawson, said the English tunnels lacked the cash they need to keep them as safe as they could be.

"What is clear from the survey is that the UK tunnels inspected are well-managed, but they haven't had the investment they need to keep them as safe as they could be," Mr Dawson said.

British driver killed

The survey follows last March's blaze in the Mont Blanc tunnel, when 35 people died after a lorry carrying margarine caught fire.

British-born lorry driver Martin Cairns, who was based in Rotterdam, Holland, was among those killed.

Two months later there was another blaze in the Tauern motorway tunnel in central Austria, which killed 12 people and left 50 injured.

Inspectors who carried out the survey said two of the tunnels they visited - the Alfonso XIII Tunnel in Spain and the Fornaci Tunnel in Italy - were "very poor".

Six tunnels were rated "poor" and nine were "acceptable".

The inspectors were not granted access to the M25 Dartford Tunnel in Kent or to four Italian tunnels.