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Calais migrant crisis: Wolverhampton's Burke Brothers removal firm has vans attacked

An overseas removals firm from the Black Country has been caught up in the Calais migrant crisis, with vans being attacked and the company facing 24 hour delays at channel ports.

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Burke Bros Moving Group in Wolverhampton has had to divert all its delivery vans to the Portsmouth port over the last few weeks, which has caused a severe back log of deliveries being delayed and prices potentially being increased.

A number of the Fox's Lane company's vans have been attacked with rocks and objects as migrants attempt to jump on and try getting into the vehicles.

In one incident migrants got into the back of one truck when drivers were staying overnight at the port in Calais, however the vans were continuing on to the South of France and not England.

When the migrants realised they were travelling south, they opened the back doors and tried to flag other passing motorists to stop the truck. The authorities were called and the migrants were handed at a French service station. This led to damage to the customer's home contents which resulted in a £1,500 insurance claim that we had to process.

Shipping and moving to France with peoples' personal possessions is something Burke Bros do on a regular basis, so they have a weekly experience of using all the keys routes to and from France.

The situation is putting an untold strain on the removals industry with spiralling costs, more expense to the customers, and pressure from the EU driving regulations.

Burke Bros' managing director Gary Burke said: "This French ferry workers dispute is really affecting our customers, our lorry drivers and our logistics team, not to mention the threat of the fines we face if we inadvertently carry illegal immigrants in the back of our removals trucks.

"Our customers are growing more and more concerned every day about the security of their personal effects, especially as July and August is our busiest time of the year for moving people and their possessions to and from France.

"These long delays in Calais and Dover are completely throwing out all our schedules, especially with our drivers and removals vans being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"The migrant problem is also starting to spread to other ports in France and Belgium"

Burke Bros always has two drivers in a delivery van at one time, something Mr Burke believes has prevented further trouble and disruption from happening.

Wolverhampton drivers Dean Showell, Glenn Sheridan and Nigel Stansby have all been at the forefront of the migrant crisis and Mr Burke has expressed his concern for their safety.

He said: "Our drivers have encountered some very aggressive behaviour from the migrants, who have been throwing large objects and house bricks at our truck windows. It's been particularly dangerous for our drivers when migrants suddenly walk in front of the trucks without warning to try and stop the trucks so their fellow migrants can try and enter the back of the removal vans.

"In some cases they are doing this with heavy cutting equipment to cut through our removal truck doors, which are secured, sealed and padlocked."

"We've had to increase our security measures for the drivers and the removal trucks, to more securely protect our customers' belongings, along with planning out alternative routes to get in and out of France and Europe. "

He added Burke Bros follows the Government guidance and code of practice on securing vehicles against illegal immigrants.

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