French rail firm to spend £4.8m on security for Channel Tunnel

The French national rail company SNCF announced a £4.8m plan yesterday to increase security at the Frethun freight depot near Calais, from which large numbers of illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain.

SNCF's security chief, Bruno Chretien, said his company would be erecting a double layer of fencing and barbed wire around Frethun's three-mile perimeter fence. It will also install infra-red cameras at the freight yard, which has become the focus of attempts by asylum seekers from the nearby Sangatte refugee centre to reach Britain.

Mr Chretien said the asylum-seekers were increasingly violent. He told the newspaper Le Parisien: "Today we are facing new arrivals, mainly Iraqi Kurds, who are much more aggressive than two months ago. They are organised like a mini-army with leaders and groups to cause diversions. They are ready to do anything to achieve their objective and have absolutely no fear of a uniform."

Violence broke out yesterday at the Sangatte centre during a dispute over a game of football. About 300 asylum-seekers hurled rocks at French police, who responded with tear gas. Four Afghan asylum-seekers were injured.

David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, is seeking talks with French counterparts over the future of the Red Cross-run Sangatte centre, which Britain wants closed. French observers point out it was opened to take asylum-seekers off the streets of Calais and its closure would not stop those people desperate to reach the UK.

A spokesman for English, Welsh and Scottish Railways said it welcomed extra security at Frethun but said it had been calling for action since last November and was not convinced the work would be done.