A suspected illegal immigrant is believed to have walked nearly the entire length of the Channel Tunnel from Calais before being held by British officers.

The man, understood to be Sudanese, was found inside the 31-mile long Chunnel near its exit at Folkestone, Kent, on Tuesday evening.

Kent Police said Abdul Rahman Haroun, 40, has been charged with causing an obstruction to an engine or carriage using the railway under the Malicious Damage Act 1861.

At least nine people have died trying to cross from Calais to Britain amid this summer's migrant crisis which has placed UK police and social services under huge strain.

Nightly incursions by migrants and blockades by striking ferry staff in northern France have led to UK haulage firms incurring huge losses.

And Kent County Council has admitted it has no more foster beds available to accommodate unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) arriving in the county.

Kent police and crime commissioner Ann Barnes said the Government has agreed to meet all extra costs linked to the policing of Operation Stack and dealing with suspected illegal immigrants.

She said: "It's only right and proper that the extra money Kent Police spends to deal with this national civil emergency comes from central government coffers and not from our local policing budget.

"I am very pleased that the Home Office recognises this because the force is having to look after every single penny because of past, present and future cuts to police funding."

Haroun was due to appear at Medway Magistrates' Court.