
British anarchists were among some 35 people under arrest in Calais on Sunday after leading a 'scandalous' invasion of the ferry port by some 500 migrants.

Not only did the thugs tear down security fences and threaten violence, but they also defaced a statue of France's wartime leader and former president Charles de Gaulle.

Masked agitators from the left-wing group No Borders were filmed during the trouble on Saturday afternoon as they tried to get people to the UK.

The Port of Calais has been closed after more than 100 migrants stormed the harbour, pictured, in a bid to get to Britain

It followed a 2,000-strong protest against the living conditions in migrant camps at the French city that turned into an escape attempt

A tweet showing what is believed to be a group of migrants after they boarded the Spirit of Britain ferry

Xavier Bertrand, the president of the French region which covers Calais, said: 'The attitude of No Borders in Calais is scandalous – there must be a punishment,' said

'I demand that the government urgently holds a crisis meeting,' Mr Bertrand added on Twitter.

It later emerged that eight of those arrested in Calais for the storming of the ferry were to face immediate trial.

Six migrants and two activists from No Borders face a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a fine equivalent to £2,800 if convicted.

The eight were among the larger group who stormed on board the P&O ferry, the Spirit of Britain, on Saturday.

Nine of those arrested were members of No Borders, the interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, said in a statement.

Gilles Debove, of the Calais police union, said: ‘I cannot understand why British citizens come to Calais to incite migrants to break the law and defy the French authorities'.

Images posted on social media show masked thugs with political flags leading a rally attended by around 2,000 people in support of free immigration to Britain.

Many of those attending were residents of the so-called 'Jungle', the vast refugee camp containing around 5000 people all desperate to start a new life in the UK.

At one point some of the demonstrators break off to paint slogans and stickers on a famous statue of De Gaulle and his wife, Yvonne.

The couple were married in Calais in 1921, two decades before General de Gaulle led the struggle against Nazism from Britain.

As president, De Gaulle also stood up to his own army officers and risked a coup d'etat to hand back the colony of Algeria to its own people.

Yet 'Calais Solidarity', another anarchist group involved in Saturday's trouble, posted a picture of the vandalized statue, saying De Gaulle was a 'reactionary mass murderer, coloniser and chief torturer of Algerians.'

Hundreds then broke through the perimeter of the Calais ferry port, storming up the gangplanks of the P&O ferry Spirit of Britain.

Police today confirmed they had arrested 24 migrants, and a further 11 people believed to be from No Borders, some of them British.

'Identification is difficult because few carry passports or other identification cards,' said a Calais police source. 'All want to keep their identities a secret.'

All face a range of charges, ranging from public disorder to trespass, said the source.

Water canons, pictured, have been used on board the ship in an effort to get the migrants to disembark

Richard Burnett (centre), CEO of the Road Haulage Association, called for the French military to be deployed at Calais port

The Port of Calais was forced to close on Saturday evening after a storm of migrants broke into the harbour.

Around 500 migrants stormed the site and around 50 made it on to the Spirit of Britain ferry, where they remained for several hours until they were removed by police, with the port now reopened.

The incident triggered fresh calls for the French military to be deployed at the port by the Road Haulage Association.

Its chief executive Richard Burnett said the incident was just the latest in a string of instances.

'This shocking breach of security clearly shows that the migrant mayhem in and around Calais is not being tackled,' he said.

'This latest episode has made the headlines, but the many incidents of attacks and intimidation faced by our British drivers on a daily basis are going unreported as, depressingly, they are now being regarded as routine.

'It is now time for the authorities to acknowledge and meet our demand for the French military be deployed to secure the port and its approaches.

'I am now publicly calling on government to join my call for this decisive action.'

Mr Burnett said immediate action was necessary, warning that it is 'only a matter of time before our worst fears become a reality and a UK-bound truck driver is killed'.

The incident came after a protest organised by French leftists to support migrants living in squalid conditions in the northern city of Calais drew around 2,000 people, according to organisers.

It followed a visit by British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in the region, which is temporary home to about 4,000 migrants camped out in hopes of finding a better life in Britain, across the Channel.

French officials said a group of 500 people forced their way through police lines and headed to the port, and 150 people were able to get into the fenced-off area.

The Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart closed the port and said around 50 migrants made their way on to the P&O-operated vessel.

Police were at the scene and water canons were used on board the ship to try to get the group to leave. Officers removed all of the migrants shortly before 9pm and the port was reopened.

P&O said the ship had just crossed from Dover, on the English side of the Channel, and 'a few trucks' were still onboard but there were no passengers when the boarding occurred.

Footage has been uploaded to the internet of around 150 migrants breaking through the fence at the port, pictured

The person videoing the break-in then moves around a building to film more people running towards the fence with cheering heard

'The proximity of the camp and the unprecedented number of migrants make it impossible to secure the (port) infrastructure, however much the state invests,' port director Jean-Marc Puissesseau said.

Long lines of cars and lorries are now building up outside the port and the incident has led to fears of travel chaos ahead of planned closures to the Eurotunnel from 9pm tonight.

The tunnel is shutting so an overnight safety exercise can take place and all services will be suspended, with the last UK departure at 9.20pm and the first departure leaving the UK at be 6.20am tomorrow and from France at 7.20am.

At the time of the disruption, P&O Ferries Updates tweeted: 'The Port of Calais is resolving a security incident. As a result our vessels are subject to delay of between 90 and 120 minutes.'

The travel giant then tweeted at around 8pm that the situation was still ongoing but vessels were being allowed to dock at the port again and loading would commence shortly.

In a video filmed by a bystander, crowds can be heard cheering as migrants try to force their way through the fence.

According to Reuters, port staff said some of the migrants have left the Spirit of Britain voluntarily and the rest will be removed by police if necessary.

Migrants are filmed breaking into the port, pictured, by a bystander and then making their way towards the ferry

Crowds can be heard cheering as the migrants bash their way against the fence, pictured, before forcing it open

Long lines of lorries and cars are building up outside the port with the Eurotunnel set for a planned closure overnight from 9pm

Danish firm DFDS Seaways called the incident a 'migrant invasion', adding the port would be reopened once police had cleared them out.

Witness Ben Ferguson said: 'Demonstrators broke police lines & headed to the port. In spite of clouds of teargas a group prised open fence b4 (sic) crowd followed.'

A statement from the Port of Dover said the French port was experiencing 'migrant activity' which had caused disruption to services.

It read: 'The Port of Calais is currently experiencing migrant activity which has caused disruption to ferry services. Therefore services to and from Calais via the Port of Dover are affected, but DFDS Seaways services are still running to Dunkirk as normal.

'The Port of Dover remains open for business, but the duration of this disruption to services remains unknown.'

P&O has confirmed it is running at a delay of between 90 minutes and two hours after migrants boarded the Spirit of Britain

Migrants, pictured running towards the port, are reported to have had tear gas fired at them by French police officers

A group is believed to have ripped open a fence in order to get access to the harbour in Calais, pictured

The incident comes hours after UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited the region and said more had to be done to help migrants deal with 'disgraceful conditions'

Some people from Britain were present at the demonstration while others carried banners saying 'refugees welcome here'.

But France is under pressure from Britain to secure the region and the French premier said this week that Europe cannot welcome everyone.

Mr Corbyn's visit comes amid a growing urgency over the migrant crisis, with French prime minister Manuel Valls warning the huge influx is putting the European Union's future in 'grave danger'.

During his visit, Mr Corbyn was given a tour of the site meeting refugees and aid workers before speaking of the 'dreadful situation' faced by people camped in the swamp-like conditions.

He said: 'What I'm trying to achieve here is to understand the nature of the refugee crisis that's facing the whole of Europe.

It is understood the group that invaded the port is larger than 100 people, disrupting services at the harbour

It is unknown exactly how many migrants were able to make their way onto the Spirit of Britain, pictured, but more than 50 are believed to be aboard, according to the Mayor of Calais

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (centre) inspects clothes on a visit to the Auberge Des Migrants Help Refugees warehouse near Calais

Mr Corbyn said he was trying to 'understand the nature of the refugee crisis that's facing the whole of Europe' in his trip to France

Mr Corbyn visited camps in Calais and Dunkirk today talking to migrants about living conditions and lack of doctors, education and food

'Ultimately we deal with the situation by dealing with the problem at its source, which are the wars and conflicts.

'Also, there are the human needs of people. We have got people here who have been here for months, if not longer than that, with no proper education, no access to doctors, no access to dentists, limited access to food - in very cold, very wet conditions.

'These conditions are a disgrace anywhere. We as human beings have to reach out to fellow human beings.'

Mr Corbyn said Britain should be part of a pan-European effort to help the people affected by the crisis.