IT must have been terrifying. Three days into a holiday that was meant to refresh and revitalise them, the Wilby family from York were traumatised by a terrorist attack.

When the car bomb exploded at the Cap Salou resort in northern Spain, Mike and Sue Wilby, and their 11-year-old son Dan, were only 30 metres away.

They felt the earth shake and witnessed the ensuing panic. The Wilbys say they only survived because a row of parked cars absorbed much of the blast.

Not surprisingly, they left Spain soon afterwards and are now back home. They are thankful to be alive, badly shaken and angered that the small print of their insurance has denied them compensation.

Reading about their ordeal could easily put off others from travelling to Spain. The bomb was planted by the Basque extremist group ETA, which has a long and murderous history. No one wants to place their family at risk.

However, people must view the Wilby's nightmare in context. They were very unlucky. The chances of being caught up in a attack of this nature are tiny.

Millions of Britons enjoy a trouble-free Spanish holiday every year. The Foreign Office is not advising people to cancel their travel plans to Spain, but sensibly asks that they remain vigilant.

Britain is only too aware of the damage negative stories can do to tourism. From the Gulf War, when many Americans refused to fly here for fear of a bomb attack, to foot and mouth, bad publicity has cost the economy dear.

But there are hazards wherever we go. Not so long ago, every traveller expected to be mugged in New York and bombed in Belfast, although the risk of either happening was small.

To now abandon Spain as a holiday destination would be to capitulate to terrorists, spurring them to greater atrocities.

Ultimately, the only way to subdue the bombers is to defy them.

Updated: 10:20 Wednesday, August 22, 2001