Protesters block Chunnel roads

Ferry workers have sealed off entrance roads to the French side of the Channel Tunnel.

Severe delays are reported along approaches to the tunnel terminal, likely to exacerbate the problems being caused by thousands of illegal immigrants camping in the area.

Ferry services are not reported to be affected by today’s action by the group Scop SeaFrance, whose members have blocked the roads with piles of burning tyres, preventing thousands of lorries and holidaymakers from accessing the trains.

Eurotunnel is currently asking travellers who can reschedule to do so and says that passengers missing their train as a result of delays will be accommodated on later services.

It says that a diversion has been put in place via the Boulogne access to the terminal.

Eurostar services are not affected.

It is part of weeks of protests by Scop MyFerryLink, the workers cooperative that had been running on behalf of Eurotunnel, that closed the port of Calais and the Channel Tunnel several times.

Scop MyFerryLink claimed it would end the action at midday.

The president of the Scop said that Eurotunnel is refusing to honour €6.2m of debt owed to the workers, meaning that they will not be paid for work in July.

Eurotunnel was forced to sell MyFerryLink after a ruling by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority that the link was unfair to competition.

At the start of June it concluded a deal with rivals DFDS, sparking protests from workers over job losses.