Chaos in Calais as 150 migrants STORM Channel Tunnel in desperate bid to get into Britain

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/588786/Channel-Tunnel-Eurotunnel-Chunnel-Calais-Folkestone-Kent-terminal-delays-Operation-Stack

BRITISH truckers have been forced into long queues on the motorway again after 150 migrants tried to storm the Channel Tunnel in a desperate bid to get into Britain.

By Scott Campbell

PUBLISHED: 03:05, Sat, Jul 4, 2015 | UPDATED: 13:06, Sat, Jul 4, 2015

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GETTY FILE PICTURE

About 150 migrants tried to storm the Channel Tunnel

Security inside the undersea link was once more brought into question as traffic was disruption as some 150 mainly young men tried to get on board UK-bound freight trains just after 10.30pm local time.

"From 10:30pm, around 150 migrants attempted to enter the platforms," a Calais spokesman said.
Police confirmed: "Riot officers had to intervene to restore orde. Services were disrupted until the very early hours. There are attempts to get into the Tunnel pretty much every night, but this was one of the worse," the spokesman added.

A Eurotunnel spokesman added that it "suffers from attempted intrusions every night".
He said: "We have adapted our transport system to ensure the best level of security and keep our trains running."

Kent Police initiated phase two of Operation Stack - where freight traffic is queued on sections of the M20 - at around 1am and closed parts of the road to other traffic.

The Eurotunnel passenger service was also suffering delays due to what it described only as an "incident on the terminal" at Folkestone, in Kent.

A statement on the firm's website said: "Our passenger service is currently operating with some timetable disruption, this is due to an incident on the terminal which is in the process of being resolved. There is a waiting time of approximately hours hours on the terminal."
"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this will cause to your journey."

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Kent Police tweeted: "Op Stack phase 2 implemented due to disruption at Channel Tunnel. M20 closed coast-bound 8 to 9.

"Non-freight traffic now being allowed into Channel Tunnel terminal. M20 Junctions 11 to 12 no longer closed but delays likely. Check with operator if heading to Channel Tunnel as services disrupted.

"Apologies once again for delays and thank you all for your patience."

Exceptionally high temperatures during a summer heatwave have added to the misery for those caught up in massive traffic jams around Calais.

This morning there were long tailbacks caused by the overnight disruption, with some of the 3000-odd migrants camped in Calais still trying to get on board gridlocked lorries. It came as the Pas de Calais prefecture revealed that an Ethiopian migrant died as he climbed up a pylon next to the Channel Tunnel in order to get on a moving Eurotunnel train.

It has all prompted renewed calls for a solution to the worsening Calais migrant crisis, which is costing the UK millions of pounds every year.

Migrant crisis in Europe

Tue, June 30, 2015

Hundreds of migrants are continuing to arrive in Europe as they flee the scenes of chaos and brutality of the Islamic State in the Middle East.

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East European migrants set up camp at the 7/7 bombing memorial in Hyde Park [Jeremy Selwyn]

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Britain's Fresh Produce Consortium estimates that some 10 million pounds worth of fresh fruit and vegetables have been thrown away since the start of the year as a result of the problems.

A Eurotunnel spokesman said the overnight incident affected freight traffic, while passenger services were unaffected.

He said: "Eurotunnel reiterates its call to the authorities to provide a solution to the migrant crisis and restore order to the Calais region."

Home Secretary Theresa May and her French counterpart Bernard Cazeneuve held emergency talks in Paris earlier this week, agreeing to put more money into improving security around the port and the Channel Tunnel.

GETTY

Trucks queue on the M20 as part of Operation Stack

France and Britain signed an agreement last September creating a fund of just over 3.5 million pounds a year to help Calais cope with the influx of migrants.

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