Calais’ “jungle”, a sprawling camp now home to up to 10,000 migrants hoping to reach Britain, is to be totally torn down “by the end of the year”, the French government confirmed on Friday night.

However, truckers, local farmers and businesses said that despite the pledge they will go ahead with a planned operation to block the A16 motorway to and from the Channel port and Eurotunnel site on Monday.

“It would be better if they put off their trip as I can guarantee it will be a black day in terms of travel. The truckers will set of two convoys from Boulogne and Dunkirk and then block Calais. Everything will be stuck,” said a local police source.