I apologise if this is a stupid question but if a timing belt (toothed) snaps, would the timing chain not save the engine from damage?

No because cars usually have either a belt or a chain but not both,

It may have a cambelt and a chain linking the 2 cam's together if its twin cam

It's the material leather type belt that usually snaps suddenly.

Whereas the metal type timing chain, will rattle and makes obvious sounds that it requires replacing.

Agree with comments by 'Volvomeg'

It's the material leather type belt that usually snaps suddenly.

Whereas the metal type timing chain, will rattle and makes obvious sounds that it requires replacing.

Agree with comments by 'Volvomeg'

My timing belt is rubber and I can see that it has some sort of metal brading like a tyre running throught it and I can see visiable writing on the belt still.

You are right in what your saying cambelts do have a certain degree of metal in them, like a car tyre to stop them streaching to much over time, altho it seems more like a nylon sort of material nowerdays,

Seen a few snapped belts in my time and you usually end up finding bits everywhere and a few like spiders legs of banding on either side where it has snapped,

If it strips the teeth off then its usually something like a sezied water pump and it will seized for a second and strip say ten teeth off at once then free off and when the belt gets round to say the crank pully it will have lost to may teeth to run round it properly so will just stop, but the force of the car moving will keep moving the crankshaft round and thats when valves meet pistons and smashes engine to bits

You are right in what your saying cambelts do have a certain degree of metal in them, like a car tyre to stop them streaching to much over time, altho it seems more like a nylon sort of material nowerdays,

Seen a few snapped belts in my time and you usually end up finding bits everywhere and a few like spiders legs of banding on either side where it has snapped,

If it strips the teeth off then its usually something like a sezied water pump and it will seized for a second and strip say ten teeth off at once then free off and when the belt gets round to say the crank pully it will have lost to may teeth to run round it properly so will just stop, but the force of the car moving will keep moving the crankshaft round and thats when valves meet pistons and smashes engine to bits

I bought my car in May last year and the garage told me the belt was fairly new. I have had the belt checked recently and the garage seem to think it is ok as the markings on the belt are stil visable.

I bought my car in May last year and the garage told me the belt was fairly new. I have had the belt checked recently and the garage seem to think it is ok as the markings on the belt are stil visable.

How many miles has the car done since it's last belt?

I would always have it changed, I recently bought a TDI octavia MK1 with 81k on the clock, the book says it should be changed at 80k. I knew it had been replaced at some time but I didn't know when, I had a new one fitted last night and when my mate who did te job showed me the old belt I was shocked, it looked like new, you could still see the markings etc however where the belt joins the 'stitching' was almost broke so it wasn't that far from failure. I would always recommend changing the timing belt unless it's well under milage. For the sake of £190 it's not worth the risk of a new engine.