Eurotunnel demands action on stowaways

Eurotunnel lambasted the British and French authorities yesterday for not acting to stop illegal immigrants using the Channel Tunnel to enter the UK. The company, which operates of the crossing, warned that the immigrant problem, coupled with the impact of foot-and-mouth disease and the economic slowdown, meant its 2001 results would be down on last year.

Reporting interim figures, Richard Shirrefs, chief financial officer, said the company had spent £3m so far this year on fortifying the French end of the tunnel to stop people climbing on to its truck shuttles to reach Britain. He said a further £10m-£15m would be lost this year from the resulting disruption.

"What we need is action from governments who are just not doing their part ... You cannot expect a private company to control these nightly intrusions. We are not policemen," he said.

Britain has threatened to fine Eurotunnel £2,000 per illegal immigrant, which Mr Shirrefs said the company would fight in the courts. For the first half of 2001, 18,500 immigrants entered its compound in France, while 3,100 were caught having made it to Britain.

Eurotunnel posted a loss of £79m for the six months to 30 June, up from a loss of £75m for the period last year, after interest payments of £166m. The company earned £40m last year for laying telecoms cables in its tunnels but said there was no such business this year.

It warned that if current difficult conditions persisted, it could fail to achieve its 2002 target for being able to meet interest payments from cashflow.