French court gives go-ahead to Jungle camp evictions

A French court has ruled that mass evictions will go ahead at part of the Jungle camp in of migrants and refugees intent on reaching Britain.

A judge in Lille agreed to a partial dismantlement of the camp's southern area, apart from schools and places of worship, aid agencies said.

State authorities say up to 1,000 people will be affected by the plans to relocate them from the slum site to heated containers nearby or to centres around France.

But aid workers say the figure is likely to be much higher. The Help Refugees charity said its own analysis revealed there were 3,455 people living in the affected area.

And Save the Children said nearly 400 unaccompanied children who have fled war, poverty and persecution live in the cold, squalid, rat-infested area now set to be bulldozed.