Sixty arrive clinging to side of train

More than 60 illegal immigrants were on the run today after they reached Britain from France by clinging to the outside of a freight train's wagons, not even attempting to hide.

When the train emerged from the Channel Tunnel in Kent yesterday afternoon, still doing 50mph, they jumped on to the line and fled. Motorists saw some run across the M20 and into fields and woodland.

Today a spokesman for EWS, the company which operates freight services on the English side of the tunnel, confirmed: "We had a report of approximately 60 immigrants clinging to the outside of a train which had left Frethun."

A tunnel worker, who did not want to be named, said: "I saw dozens of men and some women hanging on to the outside of the containers. Then they started jumping off, one by one, while the train was still moving. Some appeared to hurt themselves on the tracks because they were limping.

"They could easily have been electrocuted on the live rail or run over by a passing train. They went to the side of the line, climbed quite a high fence and ran off towards the motorway. I tried to count them but gave up when I got to 60."

British Transport Police said they were called to two smaller finds of immigrants at Dollands Moor freight depot in Folkestone on the same day, but by the time they were alerted to the 60-plus immigrants, they could not find any of them.

Including the latest 60, nearly 400 have breached security at the French end of the tunnel near Calais to reach Britain in the last fortnight, though security at Frethun is supposed to have been stepped up.

A rail industry insider said: "Our police are sick of having to go to the Dollands Moor yard night after night arresting these people when they know they should be defending railway stations and passengers from crimes like muggings."

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