THE disruption has led to delays and there is the obvious financial cost to the economy too.

Footage of the tailbacks of lorries shows the extent of the chaos caused by the Calais crisis which has seen some local hauliers snarled up in the situation caused by migrants' desperate attempts to enter Britain.

Darren Barraclough, operations manager for Western Europe and Ireland at Low Moor based hauliers, Redhead International, says the disruption has hampered their operations for around six weeks and cost them thousands of pounds.

He explains if a driver is delayed for five or six hours they have to send another driver . "It costs hundreds of man hours and tens of thousands of pounds," says Darren.

He explains how sitting in tailbacks can take up the driver's driving quota so they then have to send another driver out to cover the rest of the journey.

The estimated daily cost of a vehicle is £350 which can add up to £700 for a company whose truck is stuck in a tailback for two days.

"So if you have 10 down there that is £7,000 a day."

Darren says many smaller businesses wouldn't be able to withstand such costs and it could easily be putting some out of business.

"Bigger companies can weather the storm but little businesses will be out of business," he adds.

Anthony Bradley, MD of Bradford-based freight forwarding company, Bradtrans International Ltd, says they have also been affected by the situation at Calais.

"If you are stuck in a queue for two days who is going to pay you?" he says.

The knock-on effect has also severely affected industry too, according to Anthony. "Obviously people were not getting their goods so big companies in Bradford, factories were coming to a standstill because the goods weren't arriving so it's not just a case of trucks being stuck in a queue, industry was suffering big time," he explains.

The crisis is said to have cost the economy millions of pounds as hauliers are forced to dispose of contaminated goods and wait in lengthy queues on the M20 in Kent.

Such is the desperation to get into Britain, thousands of migrants have attempted to get into the Eurotunnel and nine have been killed since June.

An estimated 5,000 migrants, displaced from countries including Syria, Libya and Eritrea are now believed to be camped in and around the port.

Anthony suggests the creation of a holding camp. "What should be done is they should have a holding camp and vet everybody there. Take them away from Calais and all the EU countries have a say and we split them up across the EU."

Many migrants attempt to get inside the trucks in a bid to break into the UK. Recent figures show the number of fines issued to hauliers found carrying illegal immigrants into the UK has more than tripled over three years as thousands of stowaways have been uncovered.

Under Home Office rules, drivers can face on-the-spot fine of up to £2,000 for every person found hidden on their vehicle at any UK port and the Eurotunnel.

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The UK and French Government are now facing pressure to end the migrant crisis which has seen numbers swell in Calais over the summer.

A Home Office spokesman said the increase in fines is largely the result of the growing numbers of migrants at Calais since 2012 rather than a more punitive approach.

Industry body the Freight Transport Association (FTA) said the figures highlighted the growing determination of immigrants to smuggle themselves on board vehicles heading to the UK.

A Home Office spokesman said only seven per cent of those caught were British drivers but too many lorries had insufficient security.

In the meantime, security is being stepped up with French and British governments introducing increased security measures at the site, including extra security guards.

Foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said the Government had "a grip on the crisis" and insisted measures introduced in co-operation with French authorities and Eurotunnel were "already having an effect."

He added that France and Britain were "determined to work together to lead the campaign in Europe for a more robust approach" to ensuring migrants were returned to their home countries.

A Number 10 spokeswoman said the Government would continue to work very closely with the authorities in France on measures to address the situation.

She said the PM held a meeting with ministers, senior officials, Border Force and the National Crime Agency to discuss progress on improving security at the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles and alleviating disruption in Kent.