by REBECCA PAVELEY, Daily Mail

A mob of 500 asylum seekers stormed the Channel Tunnel yesterday in one of the most audacious attempts ever to reach Britain.

Two waves of refugees - most from Afghanistan - overran security fences around the tunnel entrance near Calais in a matter of hours.

They were forced back after French police fired tear gas and British officers from Kent headed them off in the depths of the tunnel.

The disturbing scenes, along with the refugees' brazen insistence that they will try again and again, caused a political storm on both sides of the Channel.

There were angry questions about whether there is the will in London or Paris to stem the refugee crisis.

The invasion attempt also highlighted the role of the Red Cross refugee camp at Sangatte, which has been blamed for encouraging illegal immigrants to try to enter Britain.

Home Secretary David Blunkett stood accused of failing to get a grip on the crisis despite repeated pledges to crack down on illegal immigration.

Last night the Home Office would say only that the incident was a ' matter for the French authorities'.

Back at Sangatte, the same men forced back from the tunnel on Christmas Day and Boxing Day said they would never stop trying to reach Britain.

The first group of 150 made their move soon after 8pm on Christmas Day. They smashed their way through barriers, overpowering the 20 guards on duty and entering the tunnel before being turned back by British and French police.

French police arrested 129 but only 40 were detained.

There is little desire in France to charge asylum seekers with offences, as it would cost too much to push cases through the courts and keep them in jail.

The second mob of 400 broke through again in the early hours of Boxing Day.

They were forced back from the tunnel entrance after French police sprayed them with tear gas. They were all sent back to Sangatte and the tunnel had to be closed for over ten hours.

Eurotunnel last night repeated its demands that the Sangatte Red Cross centre be closed immediately.

Eurotunnel spokesman Kevin Charles said: 'We have spent over £5million on security arrangements so far and the Government has done nothing.'

Tory home affairs spokesman Oliver Letwin blamed the chaos at Calais on the British's Government's failure to tackle the problem with the French authorities.