Calais reopens after blockade

FERRY services are back to normal at the port of Calais after an overnight protest by former workers of the dissolved ferry company MyFerryLink.

About 15 protesters used two lifeboats to block ferries from entering or leaving the part on Sunday night, leaving thousands of passengers waiting at sea onboard ships that could not dock.

It was the latest in a series of protests by Scop MyFerryLink, the workers cooperative that had been running ferries on behalf of Eurotunnel until operations ceased on July 1.

Eurotunnel was forced to sell MyFerryLink after a ruling by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority that the link was unfair to competition. French workers are protesting over the loss of up to 600 jobs.

Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart wrote on Twitter that it was regretful that the port "had been taken hostage" again - and called for "firm action" to be taken.

DFDS Seaways says its services are operating on time today. However, due to heavy traffic from France to the UK, it is advising passengers to allow 90 minutes for check-in controls.

Prime minister Manuel Valls is visiting Calais today to discuss the migrant crisis.