Fugitive’s Channel Tunnel bid ... to walk to France
AN escaped prisoner is back in custody after he tried to walk the entire length of the Channel Tunnel to France.
The 31-year- old, who has not been named, disappeared into the mouth of the tunnel at Folkestone in Kent a week ago.
Police were alerted on both sides of the 31mile route, with trains brought to a standstill.
When French officials managed to capture the inmate he was running towards France. It has not been revealed what prison he escaped from. A French police source said: ‘They arrested him and took him out of the Tunnel at Coquelles. He was heading to France from England, and presenting a clear danger to all Tunnel users, including himself. He was running, so as to get to France as soon as possible.’
Following the arrest on December 21, the man was fast-tracked through the French courts.
He appeared in the dock at Boulogne-sur-Mer on the Channel coast last Wednesday.
A source said: ‘He refused to give his name or
‘Presented a clear danger’
address but, thanks to the British, he was soon identified as a 31-year-old escaped prisoner.’
Without further information available, he was remanded in custody in France prior to another hearing on February 1.
It is estimated the disruption to traffic caused by the incident cost Eurotunnel – the Channel Tunnel operator – £45,000 in lost revenue.
A spokesman for the company said: ‘A person was detected inside the Channel Tunnel and taken into custody by the French authorities.’
It is the second known incident of its kind in the Tunnel, which has tough security measures.
A Sudanese migrant who walked its length from France in 2015 was granted asylum in the UK a year later.
Abdul Haroun was initially charged with obstructing a railway under 19th century legislation before being held in custody.
The 40-year-old was granted asylum, leading to Eurotunnel saying in a statement: ‘He not only caused significant disruption to Eurotunnel and to the many freight and passenger customers travelling at the time, he also put his own life and that of others at risk.’ Trains travel at up to 99mph along the line and pose a major risk to anyone walking beside them.