Port of Calais on lockdown after ‘explosive device’ discovered in car
THE PORT of Calais was placed on lockdown this afternoon after police discovered an “explosive device” in a car.
Emergency services rushed to the scene after a “suspicious vehicle” was stopped at a passport control booth on the French side of the border, Lille-based newspaper La Voix du Nord reports.
A source told French radio network France Info the driver of the car had threatened to blow himself up along with his vehicle.
Explosives experts were dispatched to the scene and a security cordon put in place shortly after 1pm local time (noon BST).
Witnesses reported hearing an explosion at around 2.30pm local time (1.30pm BST) as the suspect device was destroyed in a controlled blast.
The suspect vehicle - a black VW car - was stopped at French passport control, just before reaching the UK border.
France Info reports the driver arrived at the ferry terminal without a ticket or any identity documents and demanded to speak to French President Emmanuel Macron as well as King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
The driver was arrested and the lockdown lifted at around 3pm local time (2pm BST).
Pictures from the scene showed passengers stuck in queues as police and port staff prevented them from getting close to the suspect vehicle.
Long tailbacks formed on the A16 motorway after vehicles was prevented from entering part of the port.
Traffic came to a standstill on the port bypass road between the A16 and the port of Calais.