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Regional journalist attacked and robbed in Calais ‘Jungle’

Tom Bristow - WebsiteA regional journalist was attacked and robbed after interviewing a resident of ‘The Jungle’ migrant camp in Calais.

Archant investigations editor Tom Bristow, left, was punched in the face and had his phone stolen after being knocked to the ground by two men, one of whom he had been speaking to moments earlier.

Tom interviewed a 21-year-old from Pakistan called Hussain, who told him he tried every night to get to England by jumping on a truck.

He then walked towards a nearby road to video lorries before hearing a shout of “no video” behind him.

When he turned around, Hussain was standing next to him with another man.

Tom then showed them his phone so they could see they weren’t in any footage, but the second man grabbed the equipment and tried to pull it from his hands.

Recounting his experience in a piece for the Eastern Daily Press, Tom wrote: “I kept hold of it and we wrestled for control. I could see Hussain shaping up for a punch which I couldn’t avoid. His fist thumped into the side of my head above my left ear. A second hit to my head followed and we all fell to the sandy ground.

“The man wrestling me for the phone was on top of me, while Hussain punched me in the face. I looked up and saw his white teeth and mouth open over my arm, about to bite.

“At that moment I let go of the phone and they ran off into the camp. I got up and walked towards the police van, two officers were coming towards me.

“They had seen the attack in the distance but said they were under orders to not get any closer to the camp.”

Around 90 minutes later, Hussain and the second man were arrested and taken to Calais police station.

7 comments

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  • October 14, 2016 at 8:10 am
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    Let me get this straight. This young man was alone, in an area of the Calais camp where police are not allowed/don’t dare to go, displaying his company smartphone and approaching desperate people. Some serious duty-of-care failings here to explore, perhaps?

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  • October 14, 2016 at 10:22 am
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    Was a risk assessment carried out? probably not. You wouldn’t get the BBC sending someone there without a couple of ex-servicemen minders.

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  • October 14, 2016 at 10:38 am
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    So a reporter was sent into one of the most dangerous places in Europe right now without any photographer/other journalist, let alone security, local fixer or guide? Was there even the kind of risk assessment Archant was once so keen on? Why is the company allowing this to happen – cost-cutting or just lack of strong, experienced management? It’s naive at best and, at worst, hard to think of a similar example of news organisation acting so irresponsibly towards its staff.

    Having read the piece in full, it’s difficult to argue the ends justified the means. It was mostly made up of quotes from local hauliers, presumably interviewed on the phone, with a bit of colour from Calais which added nothing to what has already been reported elsewhere.

    You can’t help but feel this visit was unnecessary for telling the story and another example of the Investigations Unit being used as a vanity project to cater to the whims of those involved, not the needs of readers.

    Meanwhile reporters face a daily fight to be allowed out of the office for a few hours to report on issues of genuine community interest. These are strange times.

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  • October 14, 2016 at 11:26 am
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    Far be it for me to pour cold water on investigative journalism, but does the Eastern Daily Press circulation area include Calais? That said, I hope Tom wasn’t too injured or traumatised by what appears to be a pretty scary experience.

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  • October 14, 2016 at 11:28 am
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    Hussain and his mate sound just the sort of people we’re expected to be welcoming into the UK with open arms. Let’s hope all the bleeding hearts are reading this.

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  • October 14, 2016 at 1:00 pm
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    “I looked up and saw his white teeth and mouth open over my arm, about to bite.”

    This is the stuff Daily Mail DREAMS are made of!!!

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  • October 14, 2016 at 1:54 pm
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    Plenty of copy for young Tom to go at, not least the ‘no-go’ zone for the gendarmes who stand by and do nothing while someone’s beaten up and robbed.
    Still, it is a jungle out there (sorry folks, had to be done!).

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