MILLIONS of pounds raised by the Dartford Crossing and tolls for foreign lorry drivers could help pay for a third Thames Crossing.

Kent County Council (KCC) and Essex County Council (ECC) have invested in a feasibility study looking at the possibiliy of building a third crossing.

The leaders of both councils signed a £100,000 deal to go ahead with the study at a briefing last week.

They said a new crossing is needed to ease congestion around the site of the existing bridge and tunnel - or parts of Kent could become gridlocked.

Last week, junior transport minister Stephen Ladyman announced the Government would undertake its own feasibility study into a third crossing.

The KCC and Essex study will investigate where a crossing could be sited, benefits to the area and whether it would be feasible.

KCC leader Councillor Paul Carter says the study will consider the possibility of charging the 1.75m foreign lorries which enter docks at Dover each year.

He says the lorries "add immeasurably to the miseries of driving in the county" but "bring in little or nothing in taxes to pay for problems they cause."

Cllr Carter says a £10 toll could be introduced to go towards paying for the third crossing.

He says the possibility of no charges or lower charges for UK lorries will be considered if possible under European legislation.

Early estimates put the cost of a new crossing at £1bn and estimate it would be ready in 10 years time.

Cllr Carter says a share of the £50m profit made by the Dartford Crossing each year could help pay for it.

The briefing heard how, before the crossing was built, a "gentleman's agreement" was made stating the councils could benefit from cash raised through the bridge.

ECC leader Lord Hanningfield said: "We have not seen any of this money. It is outrageous."

Originally it was planned to scrap the toll on the crossing once it had been paid for and a maintenance fund accummulated.

However, the Government made a U-turn on this and it still receives the money from the tolls.

Cllr Carter said: "While we welcome the Government's announcement, we believe this is long overdue.

"We also hope our study will strongly shape and influence any technical work undertaken by the Government."