Calais crisis: Man arrested after walking almost the entire 31-mile length of the Channel Tunnel
He is understood to have been apprehended less than half a mile from the British exit of the tunnel
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
A man who is believed to have walked almost the entire length of the Channel Tunnel from Calais is being held by British police.
The man, understood to be a Sudanese migrant, was found near the British exit of the tunnel at Folkestone in Kent on Tuesday evening.
The total length of the tunnel is 31 miles, and he was apprehended less than half a mile from the Folkestone exit.
Kent Police said 40-year-old Abdul Rahman Haroun has been charged with causing an obstruction to an engine or a carriage using the railway, under the Malicious Damage Act 1861.
The incident is also being investigated by Home Office immigration enforcement officers. The man was due to appear at Medway magistrates court on Thursday.
He was reportedly found in one of the two railway tunnels, and not the central service tunnel.
His incursion into the tunnel halted the service, but it resumed in the late afternoon.
A spokesman from Eurotunnel said incursions into the tunnel were "extremely rare", and added it is "both illegal and highly dangerous."
He said that Eurotunnel hoped that "the full force of the law will be used" to show that attempting to enter the UK by going through the tunnel is both dangerous and impractical.
The site around the Eurotunnel is subject to hundreds of attempted incursions, usually at night, by people trying to reach the UK.
At least 12 people have died this year while trying to make it into the UK this year, according to Calais Migrant Solidarity.
A Cobra emergency committee meeting on the crisis was held on Monday, and a number of measures, including new fencing and additional guards, have been introduced in an effort to quell the problem.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments