Nine UK-bound migrants are facing manslaughter charges after a van driver was killed following an accident caused by a makeshift barricade on a motorway near Calais.

The horrifying collision killed the unidentified man instantly as his Polish-registered Renault Master caught fire on the A16 motorway.

Detectives believe that the Eritreans blockaded the road so as to get on board lorries heading for the south coast of England.

The Eritreans are said to have used rubble and branches ripped from nearby trees to halt traffic between junctions 49 and 50 on the busy Dunkirk – Calais stretch of the road.

All were found hidden in the back of one of the HGVs involved in the crash.

The horrifying collision saw the man, who has not been identified, dying instantly as his Polish-registered Renault Master caught fire on the A16 motorway

The driver died this morning after his van caught fire on the road which was blocked by rubble. Firefighters and rescuers are pictured standing next to the wreckage of the van on the A16 highway near Guemps, northern France

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said: 'These attacks on legality cannot be allowed to continue'.

He added that those responsible 'should be prosecuted in court because where you're a migrant or French, you respect French law.'

Neither the victim, nor any of the suspects – who also face charges of 'obstructing movement' and 'endangering the lives of others' – have yet been named.

The tactic has been used frequently in recent months, and the authorities had warned that a serious accident was inevitable.

Another of the lorries caught up in today's collision had nine Eritreans on board, and they were all arrested at the scene.

'The accident happened close to Guemps, and was caused by an improvised roadblock,' said a spokesman for the prefecture that covers Calais. 'The driver of a van registered in Poland died.'

Police sources said three trucks had braked to avoid the collision, causing the van to collide with the back of one.

Another of the lorries caught up in today's collision had nine Eritreans on board, and they were all arrested at the scene

It caught fire and then exploded into flames with the 'driver almost certainly dying instantly,' said one of the sources.

Police arrived within 10 minutes, and the Eritreans were all arrested at the scene, he added.

Reinforcements including at least 150 riot control officers were drafted into Calais earlier this month as the problem of UK-bound migrants setting up burning roadblocks worsened.

It is all part of a deteriorating security situation in the French port town that has also seen soldiers and specialist anti-terrorism teams drafted in.

It was in October last year that some 8000 would-be asylum seekers were 'evacuated' from Calais following the destruction of the so-called 'Jungle' shanty town.

Since then everything has been done to stop them returning, with a zero tolerance approach to new settlements.

But with temperatures reaching 32C, more migrants are arriving, and resuming their efforts to get across the Channel.

The prefecture estimates that some 300 are currently sleeping rough in the area, while charity groups say the figure is more like 600.