Came back from France today using the tunnel as usual. We were met with a very rude UK customs person, which was very different to the way we were treated on the other side. We were then sent to a coned area. Two more rather ‘curt’ agents asked to see inside the caravan. We thought they were checking gas but no, she jumped into the caravan and started banging around. My OH said she was picking up the bunks and our island bed, before dropping them down again! Whilst that was going on, the other person pointed at our top box and barked ‘open’ , which we
did. She rifled through our things in there then pointed to the boot to be opened, rooted through there too, then sent on our way! Not a word of explanation ( these were English people) Then further on stopped for our gas to be checked ( as usual) Never experienced the searches before or the abrupt manner of the staff.
Will be ready for them next time! Anyone else noticed a difference or was it just us!
------------- 2026
Various weekends, weather and time permitting
April - Yorkshire and Yorkshire
June - Wiltshire and Oxfordshire
Autumn - North and Scotland
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We've found similar from UK customs staff on both Porstmouth St Malo and Portsmouth Caen, It's like they've got a quota of cars / vans to stop regardless.
It's a regular occurrence coming back and quite rightly too.
Even if haven't intentionally stuffed an illegal immigrant under your bed one may well have crept there without you knowing!
DaveS1
We have never been checked quite as thoroughly, but were just saying that we don’t have the explosives swabs that we used to. And staff have always been polite. And yes, I think they must have a quota of checks to do, from time to time.
If i’m not happy with the service, I ask for the name and write it down, un nerves many staff.
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Can't say I've been exposed to that treatment on the rare occasions I've been stopped at Portsmouth. OK, not had the caravan in tow, but once had a horse box stuffed with camping gear and 'pub bar' with all the paraphernalia that goes with that. The questions were polite and routine, the atmosphere was quite jolly, and we had a few laughs even, think they were 'reading' us to see if we looked suspicious, and also checking the trailer hadn't been tampered with in our ignorance, they accepted that all the tamper evident seals we'd put on all openings were intact, and let us pass at that.
When we've been stopped with a solo car, it's been stuffed to the roof, again with camping gear, a few questions is all it's taken to get us on our way.
Maybe we just look honest and trustworthy! - not always the case, I know someone who seems to get stopped and the full works pretty much every time, thankfully they don't travel with us!
Came back through the Tunnel twice this year. August, polite officer wanted to check under the bed and in the toilet compartment, but businesslike and pleasant. March trip was somewhat different as a scenario unfolded in front of us. A fairly ratty Transit king cab pick up with a tonneau cover. Three swarthy unshaven gents in the cab. They were pulled out of a short line of three; another MH behind us. About half a dozen agents wandered over and a tall youth was removed from under the tonneau cover. One agent came into our van to check, but was only interested in the underbed, the toilet compartment and the overhead lockers, not the underseat ones funnily enough; polite and pleasant though.
Three lorries were ahead of in the queue at Roscoff. One from Mesguen the local transport company and the inspector knew the driver. One from Dartmouth Crab Company in Devon but he was a regular and shuttled to and fro twice a week with shellfish. And an HGV with Latvian plates who they hadn’t seen before.
So which one should they search? They guessed right and sent a dog in to persuade the passengers in the back to leave.
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Returning with Eurotunnel in May checked in the toilet & under bed, returning last week, only checked for explosives. Gas checks both times. Staff professional & efficient, not particularly friendly but certainly not rude
Went over to France and beyond in 2023 and 2024, and was asked by UK border/immigration officials to see the back of the van, presumably to check for illegal immigrants as they did not check the food and drink I was bringing back!
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
We were checked at Newhaven earlier this year. No caravan and the car was jam-packed. OH was asked to open the boot and the officer selected a bag he wanted to check. As it happened, it contained my husband's (clean) clothing and a list of the medication he takes. Conversation followed about his ailments (the officer was a part-time paramedic) and that was it. Quite jolly really!
------------- Freedom is a light caravan and an open road.
Profiling is frowned upon, but security staff have an idea of the type of person most likely to be a criminal.
Having your vehicles checked for unwanted surprise passengers isn’t too much of an inconvenience.
We’ve just passed a Lithuanian lorry with signs on the back ‘we don’t go to the UK’.
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Quote: Originally posted by DaveS1 on 30/8/2024
It's a regular occurrence coming back and quite rightly too.
Even if haven't intentionally stuffed an illegal immigrant under your bed one may well have crept there without you knowing!
DaveS1
Be hard work for any have got into our car without us knowing, and they only seemed to be checking cars. Checks were OTT for immigrants but nowhere near enough for drugs, weapons, explosives etc.
We were checked at Poole last year, seems to be a private security firm, staff were really friendly and was having a joke with them, all.part of the routine to be honest, have had some rude border force checks at airports but all our checks at ferry ports have been friendly
We must be really unlucky, pulled over at Portsmouth on way to France, car and caravan checked. Caravan checked in Ouisterham on way back, dog put into van. Caravan checked again in Portsmouth on way back. Annoying, but they have their instructions and as long as nothing is damaged its just a few minutes delay. All those we dealt with were polite and appologetic that the searches were necessary.
------------- 74,going on 25
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Topic: Eurotunnel
via mobile 29/8/2024 at 10:13pm
