One Killed As 1,500 Migrants Storm Eurotunnel

One man has died after 1,500 migrants tried to make their way to the Eurotunnel platforms overnight - among 37,000 who have been stopped since January.

The Sudanese man, aged in his late 20s, was crushed by a truck and is believed to be the ninth migrant killed at the tunnel since the beginning of June.

On Monday night, about 2,000 migrants tried to break through the terminal's security fence – and it was reported that two people were hit by a train, although there were no reports of fatalities.

Sky News reporter Katie Spencer in Calais said: "People are feeling this has been one of the worst weeks they've had to deal with."

Eurotunnel spokesman John Keefe said none of the 1,500 who tried to break through the fences to the tunnel's platform on Tuesday night were successful, adding that the crisis affects freight services - not passenger services - and the migrants are not getting "anywhere near" the tunnel itself.

A spokesman for Groupe Eurotunnel, which runs the Channel Tunnel, said: "The continuous pressure exerted every night is above and beyond that which a concessionaire can reasonably handle and requires a constructive and appropriate response from both governments."

France said it was sending 120 more police officers to the site while Britain said it was pressing ahead with building a nine-foot fence to protect the terminal.

Prime Minister David Cameron has described the migrant crisis in Calais as "very concerning" - and stressed the Government will do "everything it can" to improve the situation.

At a news conference in Singapore, Mr Cameron said he had "every sympathy" for holidaymakers who have had their travel plans disrupted but he advised against "trying to point fingers of blame".

Home Secretary Theresa May chaired a meeting of the Cobra committee and admitted afterwards that "a number of people" had made it through the tunnel to Britain, adding: "We will be dealing with anybody's asylum claim in the normal way, as we always do.

"But crucially what we are looking at now is improving security at the railhead at Coquelles, so we can ensure people are not trying to come through the tunnel."

Britain has agreed to spend an extra £7m on improving security at the Channel Tunnel railhead in Coquelles and 1.2 miles of fencing from the recent NATO summit in Newport will secure each side of the platform at Coquelles and will be installed by the end of the month.

The latest round of funding is in addition to the £1.4m announced earlier in July to build a new secure zone for UK-bound lorries.

Last week, Eurotunnel said it wanted the British and French governments to repay the €9.7m (£6.9m) it had invested on boosting security - and accused the authorities of "underestimating the migrant situation".

But Don Flynn, director of the Migrants' Rights Network, said: "It's not simply a matter of throwing more security, more fencing into the issue. There's a deep-rooted cause behind the problem."

Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, called for French troops to be deployed, adding that the situation was "obviously now beyond the capabilities of the French police".

When asked about the possibility of deploying British troops, Mrs May replied: "This is about ensuring we get that security fencing up, it's about working with Eurotunnel to ensure we have got the best measures in place."

Some 5,000 people, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, have set up camp around the area. From there, they often try to board trains, lorries or ferries to the UK.

Algerian Selim is one of those who tried to cross the tunnel on Tuesday, saying he wanted to work in England - a "country with a good economy" - and to see his wife and four children.

He told French TV station iTele: "The government said it's dangerous, the Channel, but me I'm going there.

"Imagine, I'm sleeping here in the jungle, I'm sleeping next to the bridge here and my kids every day are calling me, 'Daddy, when you coming?' I keep lying to my kids saying, I'm going for a job and maybe my boss is going to let me, tomorrow I'm coming. Every day I'm a liar, every day I'm lying. I'm trying," he added.

Folkestone MP Damian Collins said the French authorities needed more manpower to handle the situation, while Labour security spokesman David Hanson said the French needed to take a "much more proactive approach".

Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron said: "We are treating this as a security issue but primarily it is a humanitarian one."

Meanwhile, Operation Stack, where freight traffic is queued along part of the M20 because of problems at the tunnel, remains in force - as it has been for 20 days so far this month - and is likely to remain into the weekend. Kent County Council estimates this costs the county's economy £1.5m daily.

Kent Police say the motorway is closed coastbound between junctions eight and 13 and London-bound between junctions nine and eight, with tourist traffic able to join the road at junction 11 and freight to join the queue at junction eight, using lane one.

On Wednesday afternoon a diversion via the A20 was seeing travel time of up to 65 minutes.

Mrs May said the Cobra meeting had seen the Department for Transport asked to work with Kent County Council and others to "urgently" find options to reduce the disruption for residents and businesses in that part of Kent.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones announced a temporary relaxation of drivers’ hours rules for lorry drivers delayed by the disruption in Calais.

The daily driving limit has been increased from nine to 11 hours while the rest requirement has been reduced from 11 to nine hours.

He said: "We have listened to the concerns of hard working lorry drivers who are suffering as a result of this disruption and are doing everything we can to help.

"This temporary relaxation of the rules around driver hours is a targeted, temporary measure, to make it easier for people passing through Kent in the course of cross Channel journeys."