'Somebody is going to get killed:' British haulage officials warn of mounting trouble in Calais

Road Haulage Association chief executive Richard Burnett said some migrants have 'metal bars, knives and, in one incident, a gun was pointed at a trucker.'

(Rafael Yaghobzadeh | Getty Images)

The head of the Road Haulage Association has warned that the migrant crisis in Calais is beginning to reach tipping point, with deaths likely unless security is not increased for lorry drivers.

Chief Executive Richard Burnett said migrants clearly desired to make the crossing between France and the UK, and that this had led to a "desperate situation" for both those searching for a better life and for truck drivers concerned about making a journey safely across the Channel.

"Put yourself in their situation - you are on your own trying to get through and you've got 20 migrants around your truck trying to get on, and you're on your own trying to get them off," Burnett said.

"They are intimidating, some of them have metal bars, knives and, in one incident, a gun was pointed at a trucker.

"Somebody is going to get killed. I think things are beginning to boil over."

Mr Burnett's words come as BBC Radio Kent revealed that 563 illegal immigrants were detained or arrested by Port of Dover police officers in 2014, up from 148 the previous year.

Video: Watch the latest video of migrants trying to board lorries in Calais

The rise in recent weeks has seen the migrant number in Calais increase to around 3,000, the influx caused by wars in Syria and Afghanistan, and the repression in Eritrea. So far in 2015, the number of detentions in Dover stands at 46 between January and April.

Mr Burnett's warning about potential violence comes after many British lorry drivers have voiced their fear and anger about the crossing between Calais and Dover in recent days.

One driver told ITV News, "We need help, they are aggressive, they are closing the doors so we don’t see what happens and they are trying to go into our trucks, they are stealing our goods."

Another told Sky News that some are armed with knives "and they're not afraid to use them", leaving drivers powerless to tell them to get out.

In response, the Home Office has said that it was providing funding to increase security at ports in northern France and Belgium.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has told drivers not to stop within 60 miles of Calais, to stay close to other lorries and to make sure their vehicles are always padlocked.

Cross-channel strikes may return this week, with the French trade union boss saying that he was ready to bring Calais "to a standstill" in a protest about job losses.