Calls to address the crisis in Calais have been renewed after about 150 migrants tried to storm the Channel tunnel terminal in northern France in a bid to board UK-bound freight trains.

Services were delayed and cancelled after migrants accessed restricted areas on the French side overnight on Friday, Channel tunnel operator Eurotunnel said.



The problem was compounded when a points failure in the tunnel delayed services by up to two hours.

A spokesman for Eurotunnel said there were huge numbers of migrants in and around the tunnel area on Friday night and called for immediate action from the authorities.

Le Shuttle services from Folkestone were running 90 minutes behind schedule as a result of the points failures, with those from Calais subject to similar delays.



The intrusion caused the return of queues on the M20 in Kent for lorry drivers trying to cross the Channel after police reintroduced Operation Stack, which was later lifted.

The technical problem in the tunnel has now been resolved & we are working hard to reform our timetable. Thank you for your patience. ^ST — Eurotunnel LeShuttle (@LeShuttle) July 4, 2015

There have been renewed calls for authorities to act to solve the worsening Calais migrant crisis, which is costing the UK economy millions of pounds.

The Fresh Produce Consortium estimates that £10m of fresh fruit and vegetables have been thrown away since the start of the year as a result of the problems.

Dan Cook, operations director of Kent-based Europa Worldwide Group said “marauding mobs” were effectively halting British trade to mainland Europe.



“We have had vehicles on the motorway in broad daylight being surrounded by marauding mobs racing around, opening doors, cutting trailers, climbing into the back,” he said.

As well as damage to his company’s equipment, there was also theft and damage to his customers’ products, Cook said.



“And then there’s the sheer intimidation to drivers. It’s a very, very intimidating situation: you’re a sitting target, with people running around trying to climb on.

“The fundamental problem is that there is no sign of any active policing to stop this happening in Calais. There is no security from the army, police or whoever to protect what is the gateway to trade.”

Cook said the past week’s disruption has cost his firm about £100,000: “For a medium-sized company like ours, that’s unsustainable.”

Kate Gibbs, of the Road Haulage Association, said the economic impact of the repeated disruptions in Calais was horrendous.



“This situation cannot continue because it’s putting hauliers at risk, in terms of their lives and their livelihoods. Right now, we need a short-term fix, but we have also got to work on a long-term solution,” she said.

“If it means calling in the French military to support the police, then so be it.”

A Eurotunnel spokesman said: “Eurotunnel reiterates its call to the authorities to provide a solution to the migrant crisis and restore order to the Calais region.”

The Port of Dover, which faced heavy disruption all week due to striking ferry workers in France, said it remained open for business.

The migrant crisis in Calais has been escalating in recent weeks, with about 3,000 people who have been displaced from countries including Eritrea, Syria and Afghanistan setting up camp near the port.

Migrants have been taking advantage of slow-moving and queuing traffic by trying to board UK-bound vehicles, forcing some drivers to take long detours to skip Calais altogether.

Dover Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke said the problems underlined the need to consider expanding the port at Dunkirk, 45 miles from Calais.

The home secretary, Theresa May, and her French counterpart, Bernard Cazeneuve, have agreed to increase the joint intervention fund to improve security around the port and the Channel tunnel.

French aid workers have reported a “catastrophic” situation, with predictions that 2,000 more migrants could arrive over the summer at the camp, dubbed Jungle II.

Volunteers from l’Auberge des Migrants, a charity, said up to 50 new migrants a day were arriving at the camp, and there were not enough tents, blankets or food.

British travellers have been advised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to keep vehicle doors locked in traffic and when unattended in Calais.