Terrifying moment Britain-bound trucker is forced to battle his way past masked chainsaw-wielding gang near Jungle migrant camp
Drivers now fear someone will be killed before the authorities tackle the chaos at the port
A TRUCKER has told of the terrifying moment he was threatened by a CHAINSAW-wielding migrant as he headed to Britain.
The incident came as fellow drivers say they fear someone will be killed before the authorities tackle the chaos at the port.
The trade group for British lorry drivers is now calling for major action following the terrifying incident.
The Freight Transport Association said the truck driver was threatened with a chainsaw during a night of violence in Calais.
The Kent-based FTA said it fears attacks could escalate as numbers in the Jungle Camp swell to more than 7,000 and migrants become more desperate to reach the UK following the Brexit vote.
It said migrants had set fire to barricades across the motorway to stop vehicles and one Belgian driver reported being threatened with a chainsaw as he tried to reach the port.
His boss begged authorities: “Please do something, there will be deaths. Our drivers are threatened every night.”
And Chris Yarsley, FTA’s EU Affairs Manager, said: “These drivers are just trying to do their job, moving goods from Europe to the UK through the country’s busiest port.
Attacks like this are unacceptable and more needs to be done to protect them as they go about their work.”
Tonight there were more problems after refugees set fire to a lorry on a bridge near the port.
Despite the Jungle Camp being partially cleared earlier this year, numbers have reportedly swelled to over 7,000 – more than at the peak of last summer’s unrest.
The UK’s vote to leave the EU has made some migrants more determined to cross the Channel before any changes to the current border controls.
Mr Yarsley added: “A robust process must be put in place to quickly deal with applications from genuine asylum seekers rather than economic migrants and move them out of the camp.
"Relocating the camp away from the port would prevent the relentless attacks on commercial vehicles passing close by and allow our members to carry out their job without fear of attack or fines for unwittingly carrying migrants on their trucks.”
Last month a haulier blamed migrants at Calais for causing his truck to crash after they “set traps” to try and get on lorries heading to the UK.
Allan Campbell said his driver tried to avoid burning bales of hay in the road but collided with a Lithuanian driver who was also caught out.