Tunnel reopens after being stormed by asylum seekers

The Channel Tunnel has reopened 10 hours after it was shut down when 150 asylum seekers broke through French security barriers.

Eurotunnel services were suspended just after 8pm on Christmas Day.

A Eurotunnel spokeswoman says French police have arrested 129 people and were searching for another 20.

The first train to start running was the 6.45am service from the UK to France.

In all, about 550 refugees from a nearby Red Cross center attempted the crossing in two waves.

A second group of some 400 refugees attempted to storm into the tunnel by the same entrance. Police used tear gas to disperse them, and they were arrested and sent back to the Red Cross centre in Sangatte.

The asylum seekers were apparently taking advantage of the lack of train traffic through the tunnel on Christmas Day to try to walk the 25 miles to the UK undetected.

Eurotunnel's Anne Leva said guards were unable to stop the 150-strong group storming the entrance to the Channel Tunnel.

"We saw them coming on our CCTV cameras but it was impossible to stop them. We had approximately 20 guards there but they had no chance."

The illegal immigrants captured by police have been taken to the Red Cross Centre in Sangatte where about 1,000 people are housed.