Eurostar train stuck between Paris and London

A special Eurostar service from Paris which became stranded near Ebbsfleet in Kent on Saturday night has finally arrived at London's St Pancras station.

Passengers said there was no heating and lighting, and food ran out.

Earlier, five trains were stuck in the Channel Tunnel, trapping more than 2,000 people for up to 16 hours.

Eurostar said special trains had been laid on on Saturday night to transport as many passengers as possible between London and Paris and Brussels.

'Really uncomfortable'

Eurostar said the train initially broke down soon after leaving the tunnel.

A second train was sent to pull it to London but was unable to climb a steep incline at Thurrock viaduct.

The trains returned to Ebbsfleet where the passengers were taken off the first train and transferred to the rescue train which went on to London alone.

Passenger Natasha Seal-Jones, from Belper, Derbyshire, told the BBC News website: "It was really cold on the train at the beginning then it started to get really hot. It was really uncomfortable.

"There was no food available whatsoever, and hardly any drinks. When we asked questions we weren't getting any response."

Two special Eurostar services ran on Saturday, one from Paris to London and another the other way.

The trains that became stuck in the tunnel suffered electrical failure due to freezing conditions.

Police appeal

Eurostar ran a limited service but later cancelled three of the four trains due to leave London on Saturday and scrapped all services for Sunday.

It said the cancellations were made due to ongoing concerns with the weather.

Some test trains will run on Sunday but will not carry passengers.

A Eurostar spokesman said: When you have severe cold and snow even if you are operating within speed restrictions, which we were yesterday afternoon and evening, you do get a build-up of snow under and around the train and when you enter the tunnel you get water and at the end of the day these are electric trains."

Nirj Deva, Conservative MEP for the South East of England, has called on Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown to stand down.

Mr Deva said: "I have been watching the reports of Eurostar's astonishing incompetence throughout the day, and first of all, I must express a certain solidarity and sincere sympathy with the unfortunate travellers who were left for up to over 15 hours without water or food. I share their outrage 100%," said Mr Deva.

"This is simply disgusting. Under EU law, livestock such as cattle, pigs, sheep or horses aren't allowed to travel without access to water for more than eight hours. We don't even treat animals like Eurostar treats its customers."

Meanwhile, police have urged motorists to stay away from major routes around Dover and Folkestone unless their journey is essential.

Continued delays are expected on the M20 and other routes because of the tunnel problems and severe weather preventing ferries disembarking at Calais.

Flights were disrupted after heavy snow in parts of the UK and Europe.

Airline Easyjet is expecting more disruption on Sunday, with further snowfall predicted.

The Port of Calais was closed to freight traffic, and there were delays for motorists heading to Dover and Folkestone.

An intensive ferry service will run from Dover to Dunkirk, Boulogne and Calais through the night to try to clear the backlog of traffic. A severe weather warning is in place for Northern Ireland for Sunday, and northern England and south-west Scotland are also expected to be affected by snow.