FOURTY-FOUR asylum seekers have made one of the most dangerous attempts to reach Britain so far by walking into the Channel Tunnel.

Eurotunnel security cameras caught the group scaling a fence and sliding down an embankment before entering the dark tunnel at 11pm on Wednesda night after they had walked to the Coquelles terminal along the A16 main road in Calais.

Trains were stopped, the French end of the rail tunnel was sealed and French police and security guards were sent up the parallel service tunnel to cut them off at the 10km point.

They have been sent to the Red Cross centre in Sandgatte where Eurotunnel believe they left from earlier last night. Train and freight services were delayed for two hours. The timetable was back to normal by 1am this on Thursday.

Kevin Charles, Eurotunnel spokesman, said: "This is the most dangerous attempt we have seen so far and the situation is just becoming intolerable. It would have been a long walk in the pitch black and they were risking their lives and those of passengers. But they are trying increasingly suicidal methods to get to the UK.

"We are pleased our security picked them up so quickly, but from tonight we will be deploying more guards. This latest incident has meant more disruption for passengers and yet more money for us. It just highlights our decision to out pressure on the British and French governments.”

Eurotunnel has applied for a judicial review claiming it is unlawful for the Home Office to impose a fine of £2,000 for every asylum seeker found stowing away on a Channel Tunnel train. It has also issued a writ in the administrative court in Lille asking that the building in Sandgatte that was requisitioned by France from Eurotunnel in September 1999 for use as a Red Cross centre is given back.