Customs Searches at ferry ports/Eurotunnel

We were waved through when boarding at Harwich about a week ago although they did seem more interested in the Dutch going home and stopped several caravans at random.

Strangely when we ventured to France in January to attend a funeral with 4 occupants in a car almost all of the cars were inspected by the customs officers going out to France. Full vehicle check and an inspection under the bonnet. No reason given but they were cursory when they found out our visit was for a funeral.

No experience of recent post Brexit travel through the Tunnel though.

I can’t speak for other ports but a quick look inside the caravan and the car boot has always been common  when departing outbound from Plymouth and from Roscoff - it’s not obtrusive, time consuming or stressful. But searches of arrivals at those two ports has always been rare, and probably only happens if it’s intelligence led. I don’t know why they picked on you at Poole!

Was it on the way in or out? We have been given the once over at Dover on the way to France and when there major problems with immigrants trying to get through the Tunnel we have been inspected just is case we had extra passengers but neither were full searches.  

David

If it is anything like our only stoppage with a caravan then it would have been for something innocuous. We were pulled over at Portsmouth on returning from France about 22 years ago but it was due to our customs officers giving training to a contingent from Poland.

We told him we didn't even have a bottle of wine, a single ciggy or any porn and he let us go without a search. OH was most disappointed .

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At Plymouth outward to Santander this week, a quick look in our caravan and -weirdly - a body frisk of OH but not me - but completely ignored the car packed to the hilt! That said, others did get asked to open a box/crate or two inside their camper van.

On arrival at Santander, a customs guy seemed to have a clipboard list, and was pulling aside some vehicles after having apparently checked reg numbers against his list. Who knows why? We went straight through.

Interestingly, and more so as there have been various threads debating taking foodstuffs into EU countries, the leaflet we were handed at Plymouth refers to not being allowed to take vegetables, plants, fruits, flowers or seeds, or wood sawn…….makes no mention of meats. Although bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians are allowed. Needless to say our fridge - not opened in the check - did contain fruit and veg for personal use.

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It was on the way out. Over the years we have had many quick inspections, clearly terrorism related so for me they are normal. i don't have any intention of trying to sneak sausages bacon, etc in, just wondering what current experiences are particularly tunnel related, do we, for example, need to arrive earlier just in case?

Hi,

Last Saturday morning I took the Stena ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland.

I am a female travelling alone in my motorhome.

My vehicle was quickly look around inside and out by a male and female border control officer. No draws or lockers were inspected. Yet the female officer, a shirt, middle-aged blond, gave me a body search. Why?

Surely, if there were any concerns, checking the motorhome thoroughly would have been the priority.

Are body searches normal at ferry terminals these days?

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