Eurotunnel Delays Hit Holidaymakers After 'Migrant Activity' In Calais

Holiday Gridlock For Eurotunnel After 'Migrant Activity' In Calais
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Holidaymakers waiting to cross the channel by shuttle have endured gridlock and delays of more than four hours on one of the busiest travel days of the year after "migrant activity" caused disruptions on the French side of the Tunnel.

Eurotunnel said people travelling to the continent from Folkestone faced a delay of an hour to check in and of 90 minutes at the terminal itself.

The operator was forced to suspend services last night because of what it called "migrant activity" in Calais, with reports that migrants were trying to break on to trains.

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Lorries parked on the side of the M20

On Friday a teenage migrant was found dead on a freight train passing through the tunnel in the latest in a string of similar deaths.

Earlier this week a migrant drowned in Calais while trying to gain access to the Eurotunnel site.

Another two have also died in separate incidents in recent months, according to the Western Morning News.

Those getting away at the start of the summer holidays have also been hit by Operation Stack, which closes the M20 in Kent coast-bound to cars between junctions 8 and 11 to hold waiting freight traffic.

Motorists vented their frustrations as they waited in lengthy queues this morning, posting photographs online as they sat in lines of traffic.

Allie Edmonds tweeted: "Sat on the slip road to Eurotunnel for hour and a half! Only moved twice!", while Jonathan Collins wrote: "On M20 1 mile to tunnel exit. Grid lock."

Alex Francis added: "Edging a little bit closer to Eurotunnel thanks to some creative rat running. Sorry Kent villages."

Many others also tweeted their frustrations…

Others also appeared to have little sympathy for the migrants...