Paris police began destroying migrants’ tents on Monday after a surge in the number of people camping in the streets following the clearance of the Calais “Jungle” last week.

Dozens of armed riot police arrived at a camp in northern Paris before dawn and cordoned off two streets as workmen piled tents and mattresses on to garbage trucks.

However, after a few hours most of the police left, making no attempt to stop migrants who moved back in and pitched tents in the area that had been cleared.