Eurotunnel invests to catch Calais stowaways
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• by Huy Sheppard Eurotunnel is stepping up security at its terminal near Calais as latest Home Office figures show that fines imposed on hauliers for carrying stowaways now top £5m.
As well as investing in extra fencing and CCTV cameras, the Channel Tunnel operator says it has reduced the risk of hauliers being fined by moving its free CO2 detection service.
The checks used to be carried out in the UK-administered part of the French terminal and if stowaways were found the driver was liable to prosecution," says a Eurotunnel spokeswoman.
"The checks are now only done a few yards away from where they were before but it makes a difference in law."
The 1,235-acre terminal at Coquelles is now protected by 23 miles of fencing and nearly 200 CCTV cameras.
Eurotunnel is using posters and leaflets to publicise the increased security measures to deter potential illegal immigrants who hang about near the terminal.
Bill Dix, the company's managing director of shuttle services, says: We are doing everything we can to help our customers who are experiencing considerable problems with stowaways but there is a limit to how much operators can achieve.
"This is a Europe-wide problem which can only be solved at the level of the governments." The Home Office says that the first six months since th £2,000-per-stowaway penalt was introduced, 2,593 stov aways were found in lorries.
• A driver from Ammarrfore based TI) Williams was attacke by illegal immigrants in th Transmac area of Calais lar week. Gareth Bray was attacke after he noticed that the seal on his trailer had been (ampere with. Two illegal immigrant jumped out—one was carrying knife and lunged at Bray, catch ing him in the arm.
The immigrants only tie when security guards carryir guns arrived.
The wound was bound h other drivers at the scene; Bra later needed three stitches a Llanelli General Hospital.