French step up Sangatte security

The French have promised to draft in police reinforcements to contain asylum seekers after weeks of chaos on their side of the Channel Tunnel.

Not previously known for their gentle handling of minority groups, the French police have been notably ineffective in controlling hundreds of illegal immigrants from the refugee centre at Sangatte.

As each asylum seeker who makes it across the Channel is one less problem for France and one more for Britain, there are suspicions that the French are working to their own agenda.

Now Downing Street has been forced to act in an effort to get the French to respond effectively.

Tony Blair's official spokesman said yesterday: "We have been in contact with the French authorities within the last 24 hours and we understand from them that they will be sending additional police to the area and we welcome that."

Whether the French reinforcements will be ordinary police or the formidable CRS, who have a reputation for putting down public disorder with ruthless efficiency, is unclear.

Freight services have been shut down by the French rail operator SNCF "until further notice" adding to the difficulties suffered by the British rail freight operator English Welsh and Scotttish who have suffered losses running into millions of pounds.