Around 20 Eurotunnel passengers travelled to France and back to Kent again without being able to get off their shuttle train, it was revealed.

The "forgotten" passengers, going through the Channel Tunnel from Folkestone to Calais, were in seven vehicles loaded behind a wagon left empty after an earlier fuel spill.

Eurotunnel staff at Calais unloaded the front vehicles on the train but did not realise there were seven cars behind the empty wagon.

The unfortunate passengers ended up travelling back to Folkestone where red-faced Eurotunnel management staff met them, apologised and got them to Calais on the next available train.

The passengers, who had originally left Folkestone at 8.50am last Saturday, were given a refund and also a free crossing in the future.

A Eurotunnel spokesman said: "We have apologised profusely. Something like this has never happened before in our 16-year history and it's very embarrassing for us."

(c) Press Association