Calais migrant crisis: Eurotunnel service returns to normal after travel chaos

A teenage boy, who is understood to have been an immigrant, was found dead on top of a Eurotunnel train during the week

Migrants have tried to use Eurotunnel trains and the Channel Tunnel to cross to the UK (AFP/Getty Images)

Eurotunnel operations have returned to normal after “migrant activity” resulted in hours of delays yesterday.

Services were temporarily suspended on Friday night and severe delays of up to four hours continued throughout yesterday.

Operation Stack was imposed; a procedure used by Kent Police and Dover Port to stack lorries on the M20 motorway in Kent when services across the English Channel are disrupted.

The procedure has now been stood down as normal traffic levels return to the road.

John Keefe, a spokesperson for Eurotunnel said today: “Everything is going fine. Our services are running normally and to time, so we are getting through the traffic.

“We had delays yesterday morning, but managed to get all the traffic away despite the migrant activity in France.

“Now we have got no problems and our services are running well. We found a way of managing the migrant crisis and have got all the holiday traffic away on time for the beginning of the holidays.”

An estimated 5,000 migrants fleeing war, famine and torture in countries including Syria, Libya and Eritrea are camped in “shanty towns” around Calais as they attempt to get to Britain.

Earlier this week, the body of a teenage boy was discovered on the English side of the channel tunnel, believed to be that of a migrant.

According to the Home Secretary Theresa May, more than 8,000 attempts by migrants to travel to Britain have been intercepted in just three weeks between 21 June and 11 July.

With additional reporting by PA