Tonight: Back Door Britain

Britain is facing a crisis on one of its busiest borders, as migrants escaping war and poverty risk everything to make it to the UK.

Tonight reporter Ranvir Singh visits Calais to meet the people on the frontline, from local police to lorry drivers, and the migrants themselves.

Up to 1,500 migrants are massing in Calais, Northern France, all with a dream of starting a new life on British soil.

This summer hundreds of UK-bound lorries have been targeted. The secure port area has been breached. Migrants have fought each other for the best pitches to stowaway on vehicles. And right and left wing groups have clashed over the problem.

A Calais police spokesman explains that the force is overstretched.

And Calais’ Deputy Mayor Phillippe Mignonet has threatened a drastic solution – offering the migrants free passage to the UK.

Up until 12 years ago, the UK Border Force had no presence in Calais. Passports and vehicles were checked when people arrived in Dover. That all changed under an agreement negotiated by David Blunkett when he was Home Secretary.

Meanwhile, the migrants – who organise their own makeshift English language classes to help prepare stowaways - are not only targeting lorry drivers. Six times this month, they have tried to sneak onto tourist vehicles.

Last year, the UK Border Force detected over 19,000 illegal migrants trying to sneak into the UK through our ports. There are no official figures for how many succeed.

Now the growing crisis in Calais has led the British Government to announce a new £12m deal over 3 years to help protect the port and combat people smuggling gangs.

Tonight: Back Door Britain is on ITV at 7.30pm