The BBC's Emma Thwaites: "During the 1996 fire temperatures in the tunnel exceeded 1000 degrees celsius"

A report commissioned by Eurotunnel said a "first response" team should be on hand at all times to administer first aid and help evacuate trains in the event of another emergency.

Cover is currently provided by Kent Fire Brigade and firefighters from Pas-de-Calais but they do not have 24-hour patrols.

The report, written by independent experts Dawson International, recommends setting up mobile units which will travel through the service tunnel checking equipment and safety procedures.

No immediate changes

The plans have been put to the fire brigades on either side of the channel but if changes are accepted they will not come into operation before 2000.

Eurotunnel said if the Kent and Pas-de-Calais brigades were unable to take up the take on the 24-hour patrols the company would have to fund its own in-house team.

The changes would allow emergency teams to be available within 15 minutes of an incident in any part of the tunnel.

Firefighting will continue to be carried out by the British and French fire authorities.

Opposition by firemen's unions

An investigation by the Guardian newspaper found that it took more than two hours for a hose to be laid when a fire broke out on a cargo train in November 1996.

It said surveillance teams patrolled for only 15% of the time.

But the Fire Brigades Union's Assistant General Secretary, Mike Fordham, said they were very disturbed by the proposal.

He said: "Eurotunnel is planning to set up its own private fire service.

"Negotiations are still going on with Eurotunnel but we are completely opposed to the idea."