FACEBOOK/GETTY Around 300 migrants are making a mass bid to reach Britain (file picture)

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French police battled around 300 migrants in the lawless port town this afternoon after huge mobs targeted England and Wales fans returning across the Channel after cheering on their teams at Euro 2016 and motoring enthusiasts driving back from the Le Mans rally event. Gangs of migrants ran out onto the motorway and brought traffic to a standstill outside the port, so that they could break into lorries and stow away in an attempt to sneak across the Channel. A British football fan caught up in the chaos reported that gangs of migrants were shouting "f*** the UK" as they hurled rocks at his car, posting photos on social media of clouds of tear gas fired by embattled police.

One UK motorist warned on social media that cars were being "stoned" by migrants as they sat stationary in traffic, warning others to stay away from the town. Others claimed that the port had been "shut" by the authorities due to the chaos with "miles of stationary traffic" snaking back through the town, with one tweetlng: "UK Border control Calais side has stopped, we are all sat here waiting for cars to start flowing through? No toilets and water." Another added: "Migrants chucking stones at cars at Calais. All major routes are shut."

Evacuation of Calais migrant camp Tue, June 21, 2016 A growing number of migrants seeking to reach Britain are trying to leave from the Belgium and France. Here are some of the scenes from the Calais migrant crisis in France... Play slideshow Photoshot 1 of 83 Mirants clash with police in Calais

So just watched about 8 illegal immigrants climb into this Lorry at #Calais pic.twitter.com/0xwngZ229r — Ed Lowman (@steadyeddyed) June 20, 2016

Chaos erupted at around 3pm French time when the hundreds of migrants made an organised raid on the motorway linking the town to the port, which was closed by authorities for more than four hours, sparking traffic mayhem. It finally reopened at around 7pm after being left strewn with debris. Calais newspaper La Voix du Nord reported that gangs of migrants from the nearby Jungle camp attacked the ring road in waves, with police putting up barriers and firing tear gas grenades in a bid to hold them back. The orchestrated raid is being viewed as particularly brazen by the authorities, who observed that migrants usually attempted to board lorries under the cover of darkness.

Photoshot Migrants broke through security fencing protecting the entry road to the port

Photoshot Several police officers were injured during violent confontations

It is thought the criminal gang lords who run the migrant smuggling operation in Calais have deliberately timed the mass attempt to reach Britain to coincide with traffic returning from Euro 2016 and the Le Mans 42-hour rally event. Police in Calais reported that several officers were injured during clashes with migrants while a number of people have been arrested, including two militants from the ultra left-wing anarchist group No Borders, for throwing stones. The chaos comes just three days before Britain votes on whether or not to leave the EU, with some migrants fearing border controls could be beefed up immediately in the event of a Brexit.

Photoshot Migrants broke through security fencing protecting the road leading up to Calais port

Due to an incident on the approach to Calais port French Police have temporarily closed the Motorway. *Tom — P&O Ferries Updates (@POferriesupdate) June 20, 2016

Economic migrants congregating in Calais know that if Britain votes to leave the EU we can take control of our borders Mike Hookem MEP

A Calais police spokesman told TV channel France 3: "Police personnel have been deployed in numbers and had to use tear gas to evict migrants from the roadway. At the same time controls have been strengthened all across the port of Calais.” Meanwhile UKIP's defence spokesman Mike Hookem told Express.co.uk the situation showed "that immigration and the EU are inextricably linked". He said: "Economic migrants congregating in Calais know that if Britain votes to leave the EU we can take control of our borders. That is why they are so desperate to get to the UK should we vote to save our country on Thursday. "Both the Tories and Labour remainers have admitted that if we stay in the EU we can say goodbye to any chance of taking back control of our own country."

#France #Calais Police have temporarily closed the motorway to the #CalaisPort due to clashes between migrants and Police. Vehicles stoned. — Genvisec Infomap (@GenvisecInfomap) June 20, 2016

Just came through Calais and look at the thousands trying to get in?????? frightening amount #Brexit #VoteLeave pic.twitter.com/eOg153IpGH — Craig (@hen5269) June 20, 2016

British motorists took to Twitter this afternoon to report huge delays in and around the port town amid the chaos, with P&O ferries waiving time restrictions to allow people with tickets to check onto any ferry today. The company tweeted: “We understand there are delays on the motorway to Calais Port rest assured we will check you onto the next available ferry at no extra cost.” And authorities in Calais tweeted that the “congestion level for drivers has changed from high to extreme” due to the chaotic scenes. One British driver posted a video on Twitter showing migrants by the roadside, adding: “Just came through Calais and look at the thousands trying to get in - frightening amount #Brexit #VoteLeave.”