Police have apologised to a family after they were stopped at the Channel Tunnel on suspicion of child trafficking.

Julie Maynard and husband Leslie Coombs, from Hertfordshire, were on a day trip to Calais with Mrs Maynard’s 12-year-old son Joshua when they were stopped at the border check point in Folkestone.

The couple are white and Joshua, who has cerebral palsy and autism, is mixed race, and they were reportedly accused of trafficking the child by a female detective constable, and were questioned at length.

Kent Police have since apologised to the family and funded their return ferry fare from France, made a donation to Joshua’s school welfare fund, and wrote a letter of apology to Joshua.

The female officer involved in the incident has since moved to 'other duties’ of her own accord.

Kent Police denied claims the family was detained under the Terrorism Act or placed under arrest, and interviews with them totalling two hours were done voluntarily.

A spokesman said: "Kent Police always aims to investigate the circumstances of any complaint quickly, thoroughly and sympathetically.

"We have apologised to the family and worked closely with them to redress their complaint.

"Kent Police remains resolute in protecting our borders, detecting human exploitation and terrorism, preventing crime and working to keep the county safe.

"Police routinely stop vehicles and often have to make a quick assessment of the circumstances."