Investigation launched after man found in Channel Tunnel walking to France

The Channel Tunnel

Credit: Christophe Petit Tesson/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A criminal investigation is underway after a man was found in the Channel Tunnel walking to France.

A man was discovered last Monday (Dec 21) and he is thought to have walked through the Tunnel from the UK side.

It is not currently known why the man, who is reported to be British, was attempting to make the journey.

A spokesman for Eurotunnel said: “A person was detected inside the Channel Tunnel and taken into custody by the French Authorities.

“As there is now a criminal procedure in place we are unable to comment further at this time.”

In recent years a number of attempts have been made from both sides of the Tunnel by people who wanted to complete the journey on foot.

Obstruction of engines or carriages on a railway is an offence that is punishable by up to two years in prison under the Malicious Damages Act 1861.

A Sudanese man who walked the 31-mile distance from France and was subsequently granted asylum in the UK received a nine-month sentence for obstruction in June 2016.

Abdul Haroun walked free despite his prison term because of the length of time that he had already spent in custody.

In April 2016, two Iranian men pleaded guilty to the same charge as a court heard that one of the men had climbed a perimeter fence while trains were passing by.

Both were sentenced to 14 months in prison after a sentencing judge described their actions as the product of “a state of desperation”.

Six years earlier, Amer Hassan walked more than halfway through the Tunnel before he changed his mind about the prospect of living in England and handed himself in to police.

Mr Hassan was taken back to France where he was convicted of trespassing and received a sentence of two years, before being told he would be deported on his release.

It is estimated that the walk from Folkestone to Calais, which is highly dangerous due to the vacuum effect of speeding trains, would take around 15 hours to walk.

The Home Office was contacted for comment.