Escaped British prisoner, 31, is caught by FRENCH police after trying to run through the Channel Tunnel
- The 31-year-old was seen going into the tunnel in Folkestone, Kent, a week ago
- Man, who has not been formally identified, was found by French police today
- Estimated that the disruption to traffic cost Eurotunnel £45,000 in lost revenue
An British prisoner who escaped and was caught trying to walk the Channel Tunnel to France is back in custody.
The 31-year-old, who has not been formally identified, was seen disappearing into the mouth of the tunnel at Folkestone in Kent a week ago.
Police teams were alerted on both sides of the 31-mile Tunnel, with French officials eventually finding the man on December 28.
An British prisoner who escaped and was caught trying to walk the Channel Tunnel to France is back in custody (file image)
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 court system in France, and appeared in court at Boulogne-sur-Mer last Wednesday.
The man was remanded in custody in France, before another hearing on February 1 next year, said the source.
It is estimated that the disruption to traffic caused by the incident cost Eurotunnel – the Channel Tunnel operator – £45,000 in lost revenue.
A spokesman for Eurotunnel said: ‘A person was detected inside the Channel Tunnel and taken into custody by the French Authorities.’
It is only the second known incident of its kind, and happened despite massive security measures inside the undersea facility.
It is only the second known incident of its kind. In 2015, Abdul Haroun (pictured) walked the length of the Channel Tunnel and was eventually granted asylum in the UK
A Sudanese migrant who walked the length of the Channel Tunnel from France in 2015 was eventually granted asylum in the UK a year later.
Abdul Haroun was initially charged with obstructing a railway under 19th-century legislation before also being held in custody.
Trains travel at up to 99 mph (160km/h) along the Channel Tunnel line and pose an immense danger to anyone walking in the Tunnel.