Afghan people-smuggler arrested over rape of British student in Calais

Detectives swooped on the pair in the northern French port on Sunday and are now checking fingerprints and DNA against samples taken from the 31-year-old victim.

They are also checking hours of CCTV film from nearby businesses. The victim, who was born in Canada but has lived in Britain most of her life, had helped police create an e-fit photo of the suspect after her ordeal last Tuesday.

The student - who cannot be named for legal reasons - had travelled to the area to interview migrants sleeping rough on their way to Britain.

Camp: The British student was allegedly raped at an immigrants' camp in Calais. Police have now arrested an Afghan people-smuggler and an Iranian man

Deputy prosecutor of Boulogne-sur-Mer Philippe Muller said: 'An Afghan man thought to be a people smuggler and an Iranian man have been arrested in connection with the rape of a Canadian student last week.

'They are being interviewed in custody and charges could be brought.'

One could be charged with rape and the other with assisting him, he added.

The student - who cannot be named for legal reasons - had travelled to the French port to interview migrants sleeping rough before trying to sneak into Britain.

It is thought she had been warned by local police not to go to the camp as it was a dangerous place for lone females.

As she took photographs of a group of Afghan refugees, she was lured into a makeshift hut in the notorious unofficial camp called The Jungle by the gang leader, who told her he wanted to show her something inside.

There he pinned her down, hit her repeatedly and subjected her to a half-hour rape, police said.  

Although she screamed for help, no one came to her aid.

After the attack, Prosecutor Muller said he believed the man was a French-speaking people smuggler in his 20s of Afghan or Iraqi appearance.

Mr Muller said: 'We think he is a people smuggler because he spoke good French. We have two photo-fit pictures based on her evidence and on that of a third party who saw her with the rapist before the attack.'  

The woman, who was born in Canada but has lived most of her life in London, was treated for physical injuries and underwent counselling for mental trauma in Calais.

There are still around 1,000 mainly Iraq, Afghani, Somali and Indian refugees living rough in Calais, despite the closure of the Sangatte Red Cross hostel in 2002.

Most make daily attempts to sneak aboard ferries, lorries and Channel Tunnel trains to Britain.

The Home Office said the number of refugees caught sneaking into Britain from Calais fell from 10,000 five years ago to 1,500 last year, a fall of about 88 per cent.