Eurotunnel has warned passengers using its shuttle service to be on their guard as desperate immigrants attempt to stow away in cars.

The advice comes after an illegal immigrant concealed himself in the boot of a woman’s Fiat Panda on the company’s drive-on Le Shuttle service earlier today, only jumping out when she got home to Shepherdswell.

John Keefe, Eurotunnel’s UK director of public affairs, told KentOnline: “As I’m sure people are aware things are quite dramatic at Calais right now.

“There are large numbers of immigrants in the area and we’ve been warning truck drivers for a while now to be on the lookout for people sneaking into their trailers in car parks.

“Now we’re just extending this advice to motorists to be on their guard.”

Eurotunnel stressed that its Calais terminal is safe after a group of about 100 illegal immigrants tried to force their way onto P&O ferry to Dover this morning.

Mr Keefe said: “This is really aimed at people travelling through the area, who may stop at service stations or car parks, to keep an eye out so they don’t turn up at the border with someone in the back.”

He reiterated the company’s desire for a long term solution to the problem.

“What we really need is for the flow to be stopped at the border of Europe, before they even get to France or the UK.”