Chaos continues at port of Calais

CHAOS is continuing today at Calais, with no ferries arriving or leaving from the port.

Blockages which started on Tuesday are continuing as MyFerryLink staff continue to protest against job losses linked to the ending of the service today.

However the Channel Tunnel is open again, after services were forced to stop yesterday as part of the protests – although the workers say they have not ruled out further action aimed at disrupting tunnel traffic in the hours and days to come.

Yesterday there were also problems with illegal immigrants attempting to get on board queueing trucks.

A P&O Ferries spokeswoman said: “We hope matters can be resolved today but we have no confirmation so far. It’s planned that Eurotunnel is transferring the contract for the use of its ferries today to DFDS – so MyFerryLink stops today, but we don’t know if the blockages are going to stop or not. It’s not clear yet either what DFDS will do with the ferries - announcements are expected soon.”

She added: “We are running Dover to Boulogne crossings, trying to free up the port of Dunkirk, which has an enormous concentration of traffic at the moment – we are sending a maximum of freight and coaches that way; there are a lot of coaches waiting to cross.”

Hon Consul for Boulogne-sur-Mer Gerard Barron said: “The port is still blocked and the motorway is difficult in the extreme with HGV’s queuing both for the port and the tunnel, as well as into Dunkirk.

“Eurostar and the shuttle were operating last night after disruption during the day, but there is an ever-present risk that MyFerryLink action and/or illegal immigrants will do further damage.

“DFDS are running all their vessels into Dunkirk; P&O are running a one-way service from Dover to Boulogne, where they discharge mainly outbound HGVs and car/caravan combinations, in order to relieve pressure on the roads in Kent.

“France-bound traffic is being diverted to the tunnel, where there is a long waiting list, to Dunkirk - DFDS is under a lot of pressure - and Belgium.”

Mr Barron said it is expected that a meeting will be held this morning between union leader Eric Vercoutre and the Transport Minister Alain Vidalies: “However I doubt this will be effective as [Eurotunnel president] Jacques Gounon has apparently refused to attend.”

The Calais Chamber of Commerce and P&O are applying for court injunctions against the MyFerryLink demonstrators, he said.

Eurotunnel confirmed last week that it has signed an agreement with Danish firm DFDS that it will rent, with an option to buy in 2017, two of its three ferries, with the other remaining in use for freight.

Previous story: UPDATE: Tunnel services halted