Video
FRIGHT VAN MAN
Terrifying moment a mob of migrants wielding metal poles used a fallen tree to try and ambush Brit driver in Calais
Glen Shadbolt escaped by driving his 3.5 tonne Sprinter van over the obstacle
A VAN driver has told of the terrifying moment a mob of migrants wielding metal bars ambushed him in Calais - by rolling a TREE in front of his vehicle.
Fearing for his life, Glen Shadbolt, 39, escaped the trap by driving his 3.5 tonne Sprinter van over the obstacle.
He then watched as holidaymakers returning to the UK from France who were stuck behind him were mugged by the mob as smashed their windows in.
Migrants armed with baseball bats and crowbars targeted about half a dozen Brits and their vehicles in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Mr Shadbolt's frightening ordeal was captured on the van's dash-cam on Monday evening as he returned from Brussels on a dual carriageway in the French port.
They were mugging people...It was really scary.
Glen Shadbolt
The father-of-one from Knebworth, Herts, said: "They were there mugging people.
"They were trying to get onto the lorries so they can get into the UK.
"In order to do that they stop the cars which creates a traffic jams which gives them the chance to get onto the stationary lorries.
"It was really scary. I was quite tired at the time and it definitely woke me up."
Haseed Dar, 22, from London, was caught up in the chaos in his posh Mercedes.
Violent migrants ambushed his £40,000 motor and smashed the windscreen and door windows while he was inside with female family members.
Haseed’s uncle Irshaad also had his Ford Galaxy smashed to bits – leaving his young children, who were returning from a trip to Disneyland, screaming in terror.
Irshaad, 46, from London, said: “We were driving back from a great holiday when we came to a stop about a mile from the port.
"The road was full of tree branches – we couldn’t move. It was a road-block. “All of a sudden about 30 to 40 men came out from the side of the road and began attacking our cars.
"Windows were being smashed, glass was flying everywhere and we thought we were going to die. “It was terrifying.”
A convoy of about six cars managed to speed off from the scene – but police were nowhere to be found. Irshaad said:
“We made it to the check-in at Calais and were shaking with fear. French Authorities told us to report it to British police as we were heading home and British cops told us we should speak to the French police. It’s been awful.”
The terrifying incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Brits at the French port in recent weeks.
In June hundreds of stone-throwing migrants forced Calais to close as they tried to board ferries to Britain.
People’s cars were smashed up as French authorities were forced to seal off the port.
After Mr Shadbolt's terrifying experience, he continued to the port where he discovered a short time later that he'd been fortunate to escape the attack unscathed.
He said: "In that situation, you have just got to forget about the damage to the vehicle, they're insured, and think about yourself.
"I just looked away and ploughed straight through.
"I almost ended up hitting one of them, but he got out of the way just in time when he realised I wasn't stopping.
"I was just extremely lucky that I was the first one there and I was a in a big vehicle."
I was just extremely lucky that I was the first one there and I was a in a big vehicle.
Glen Shadbolt
He added: "If you went over it in a car you could do yourself some serious damage, even go off the road or flip over.
"The cars behind me all stopped.
"They got their windows smashed in and some people got mugged."
Mr Shadbolt has been travelling to Europe for 17 years with his family business, AOG Support, which delivers aircraft parts.
However, the ongoing crisis means he is now considering changing his company policies to ensure there are two drivers on each job, for additional support.
"A lot of people won't go there anymore," he said.
"It's only a matter of time before they start throwing stuff off motorway bridges.
"They will have to get some more police around because there's no police out there, and they have to get some control."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368
Topics