'Police are here to stop migrants, not to harass girls for sex in their vans'

YOUNG women in Calais have claimed French riot police paid for by the British taxpayer harass and grope them during their nights out.

-  Zak Garner-Purkis

One woman, aged just 20, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was asked about the reputation of officers in Calais and rolled her eyes.

She alleged she had been extensively groped by a heavyhanded officer at a nightclub on the previous evening.

She said: "He was grabbing my chest, arms and hips, telling me, 'Come, let's dance'. I told him to stop but he didn't." She added that if officers are partying in the same venue, women expect to receive unwanted attention.

Barely out of her teens, the young Calaisienne was disgusted at their lecherous behaviour. She said: "They are almost the age of our parents, at least 14 or 15 years older.

"Sometimes they are married and have children. Often they will tell us they have a family. They think they are above the rules because they are very proud of what they do and want to show off. They think that they are better than other people."

She said the club incident occurred while on a night out but she has also had to deal with officers when working as a waitress in a restaurant.

The woman explained: "The restaurant is near the officers' hotel. When they come to eat, they are really after me and the other girls who work there, grabbing us and trying to take us with them.