They've just had a representative of the Road Freight Association  on the BBC VD programme reporting of his recent experiences whilst coming back from the continent in a saloon car.

 

He reported that his car was hit by a boulder thrown from the side of the road by people from the migrant jungle in Calais. Obviously, severe damage occurred

 

Apparently, they are doing this so that they can slow the stream of traffic, including the lorries, and therefore get a ride to the UK. He also reported that they have chain-saws and are chopping down trees to create road obstacles.

 

He also reported that lorry drivers are increasingly threatened and robbed (particularly when re-fuelling)  and have had objects thrown through the windscreen and at vehicles,  including spears and molatoff cocktails.

 

So, perhaps the smart advice for UK residents is to do the outbound journey thru Calais and do the return via another port.

 

Anybody have recent experience ?

 

Nick

Edited 5 August, 20169 yr by Clunkclick

I travelled back from france on the 24th of July and it was fine then, could see the camps from the motorway going into the port but nobody up by the sides of the road. had my doors locked all the same :P

 

there were 2 big army guys with rifles at the passport booth so security there is good atleast

We came back via Dunkirk a couple of week ago.

 

Again we saw the camps on the way in but no troubles there.

Driven to Belgiim a number of times these last four weeks and never had a problem like this.

They have closed pretty much all the rest areas from outside Dunkirk all the way to Calais and the same from the other direction to stop the lorries being targets. From memory there is only 1 petrol station between Dunkirk and Calais to refuel too so can't see how they would be robbing them whilst refuelling as that station had police stationed when I went past. Apart from the rolling road blocks I didn't see any trouble and there were police everywhere!!

Therefore, if you want trouble at Calais or Dunkirk, speak to the BBC (other press organisations are available).......

Went through Calais a couple of weeks ago, all was well. I even used the services just outside Calais (Boulogne side) and apart from shop customers there were no sign of anyone hanging around.

 

I think the whole thing is being blown up out of all proportion to make things look worse than they really are. 

Edited 5 August, 20169 yr by mannyo

A relative waited there for 8 hours returning from the recent Le Mans 24 hours due to vehicles being stopped by immigrants so it's not all fiction.

Just got back from the Spa 24hrs.

 

Hull - Zeebrugge.

if you don't mind 12 hours floating time, and live anywhere north of Birmingham, absolute doddle. Almost a bit too lax going out tbh.

No sign of any illegals anywhere.

 

Don't think I'll ever go via Dover to mainland Europe ever again whilst all this crap is going on.

Edited 6 August, 20169 yr by Adenuf

We were expecting the worst yesterday (doors locked when driving, etc), but even visiting the McDonalds in Calais did not see us any migrants or trouble.  Only saw a single migrant on the motorway near the Tunnel, and other than two Police vans waiting on the Calais entry road, it seemed to me that it is confined to some specific areas (cargo? ferries?) and not so wide spread as the media have us believes it.  The queues at Customs however... mayhem!

We were expecting the worst yesterday (doors locked when driving, etc), but even visiting the McDonalds in Calais did not see us any migrants or trouble.  Only saw a single migrant on the motorway near the Tunnel, and other than two Police vans waiting on the Calais entry road, it seemed to me that it is confined to some specific areas (cargo? ferries?) and not so wide spread as the media have us believes it.  The queues at Customs however... mayhem!

Now that was bad coming back into Hull too.

Just 2 very surly looking officials screening a half full boat took over an hour, and there were still loads behind me.

 

All the questions about where I'd been and when, what I'd done and bought were just a ploy to watch for odd and suspicious reactions imo

Edited 7 August, 20169 yr by Adenuf

We love the hull to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge routes. Only an hour down the road after work then a nice nights sleep and wake up in Holland.

It's just got so expensive these days. Was going to cost £600+ for 4 of us to go so we did Dover and even with a night at premier inn and the extra fuel it only cost us around £300.

Driving into and from Brugge last year we saw migrants walking across fields and noticed that the rest areas had all closed from Jabekke down through Dunkirk into Calais.

 

There is now evidence of migrants trying to cross the Channel like the Mediterranean but with little success. We only live 5 minutes walk from the beach in Hythe. I can one day see them landing on the pebble beaches of Hythe Bay....

There is piece running on the BBC breakfast news this morning showing people smugglers cutting trees to lay across the roads on the approaches to Calais to slow the traffic to try to get migrants onto lorries heading to the UK. These people smugglers are masked and armed, surprised the French police or army haven't moved in to tackle the problem.

was just watching that too, think tis only happening at night when its dark, still sketchy but hopefully people crossing in the day time wont have any issues.

Just back from Italy, not a peep on the way in or out from anyone, I couldn't even see where anyone could come from.

There is piece running on the BBC breakfast news this morning showing people smugglers cutting trees to lay across the roads on the approaches to Calais to slow the traffic to try to get migrants onto lorries heading to the UK. These people smugglers are masked and armed, surprised the French police or army haven't moved in to tackle the problem.

very much not their problem  :coffee:  :coffee:  :coffee: