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In a new escalation of violence among migrants in the area desperate to get to Britain, a violent mob pounced on a trucker. They hit him around the head with a brick and left him for dead before stealing his vehicle. It is thought the gang seized an opportunity to try to smuggle dozens of illegals into the UK but their brazen attempt failed when the vehicle was stopped before reaching the port.

PHOTOSHOT/GETTY Migrants in the French port of Calais in 2015/16

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The worrying incident has sparked a warning over trucks and tourists vehicles stopping near the port with tens of thousands of families currently driving through northern France on holiday.

This sickening attack shows the extreme lengths people will take to break into Britain Charlie Elphicke - Tory MP for Dover

Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, said: “This news from Calais is extremely disturbing and comes as a stark warning to UK drivers that migrants will stop at nothing to reach our shores. "This latest method of hijacking is new and clearly shows these people will stop at nothing to cross the Channel.” The driver stopped near Marck on the A16 motorway outside Calais and noticed a group of migrants trying to clamber into his truck.

GETTY Migrants enter the trailer of a truck on December 17, 2015

When he left his cab to inspect the damage he was attacked before the gang hijacked his lorry and drove off towards the port, leaving him bleeding on the floor. The gang was stopped by police five miles away. The unnamed driver is in hospital with a serious head injury. British truckers were notified of the horrific attack via the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service whose alert has now been moved to red, its highest level, meaning a clear and present security risk. Charlie Elphicke, Tory MP for Dover, said: “This sickening attack shows the extreme lengths people will take to break into Britain. “Hard-working lorry drivers must be protected from brutal assaults like this. Tourists and truckers must be safe on the road to Calais. “Whether it’s using small aircraft or stealing lorries, trafficking gangs are using ever more disturbing tactics to smuggle migrants across the English Channel. That’s why we need a crackdown on these ruthless people traffickers and end their evil trade of modern slavery.”

GETTY French riot police search a truck