Migrants force Eurotunnel delays by boarding freight train

Updated

Eurotunnel services have been hit by delays after migrants managed to sneak on to a freight train headed for the UK.

Eurotunnel tweeted that the train was "stopped in the tunnel" when the migrants were spotted on board at about 3.54pm.

The national network rail freight train was coming from the SNCF Reseau track in Frethun in France.

A spokesman said: "The alert was raised and the train stopped and searched before it could travel to the UK through the Channel Tunnel.

"The search was conducted by the Police aux Frontiers and security staff. The migrants found have been taken into custody by the French Police aux Frontieres in France, and the train set back to the SNCF yard at Frethun."

Eurotunnel claimed the incident shows that "migrants are seeking new routes to cross to the UK" now that security at the site has been "increased in line with operating volumes".

Eurotunnel said it expects all traffic forecast to travel today to go ahead and that it is working on restoring full services.

The spokesman added: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this incident."

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