Refugee camp boss 'must resign'

More riot police have been drafted in for the New Year

British MPs have called for the deputy director of the French Red Cross refugee camp at Sangatte to resign, after hundreds of asylum seekers attempted to storm the Channel Tunnel.

Michel Meriaux has refused to tighten security at the camp despite admitting he knew the asylum seekers were assembling in the camp on Christmas Day.

He must have known that they were putting themselves in danger but yet he did nothing

Former shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe

Four refugees were jailed for four months on Thursday in France for breaking down barriers in the failed attempt to cross through the tunnel.

Eurotunnel has now drafted in 500 extra French riot police for the New Year period, amid concern that there will be a further attempt to storm the barriers.

Mr Meriaux denied knowing in advance the group was going to attempt to enter the tunnel and said it was not up to him to warn the authorities.

Police used tear gas to disperse the asylum seekers after they breached security at the tunnel entrance.

'Determined'

Eurotunnel has called for the Sangatte camp to be closed, saying it is "powerless" to deal with refugees' persistent attempts to cross into the UK.

Former UK shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe said Mr Meriaux's position was "untenable".

"These people were in his care. He must have known that they were putting themselves in danger but yet he did nothing," she said.

Mr Meriaux said staff phoned him to say camp residents had assembled- 150 gathering at 9pm and another 400 after midnight on 25 December.

Recent tunnel breaches

25 Dec: 150 caught inside tunnel; 400 trying to get in

6 Nov: 74 found hiding on trains in Dover

30 Oct: 154 arrested in Calais freight terminal

2 Sep: 100 caught in Coquelles compound

31 Aug: 80 caught in Coquelles compound

30 Aug: 44 held after walking miles into tunnel

He said he did not have any duty to inform Eurotunnel of this as his organisation was not concerned with what took place outside the compound.

He said the closure of the camp would not disperse would-be migrants from the areas around the tunnel and port departure points.

'Mission impossible'

Mr Meriaux has been defended by the French Red Cross, following his interview on BBC Radio 4's The World At One.

It said: "The interview was carried out in French - as Mr Meriaux does not speak English - and he has stated categorically that he was misreported, and that he did not know anything about the incident in advance."

But the BBC maintains its report is accurate and Mr Meriaux's interview can be heard on this website.

Mr Meriaux described the attempts as a "publicity stunt," saying it was "mission impossible" to cross the 34 kilometre-long tunnel on foot.

Trains were stopped for 10 hours after French riot police, aided by British officers, broke up the crowd of asylum seekers, arresting 129 of them and transferring others to Sangatte.

The BBC's Nick Thatcher told Radio 4's Today programme there had been no reports of any disturbances at the tunnel entrance on Boxing Day.

But extra police had been called in because of fears further attempts to breach security would be made on New Year's Eve.

The four refugees jailed and fined under fast track procedures were Reza Mohamad, a 20-year-old Afghan, and Kurdish Iraqis Ismail Tapol, 19, Ahmad Rachid, 21, and Aomid Kakabira, 21.

All four denied the accusations against them.

Some 39 others are to face trial in the coming weeks.