As smoke filled the air, migrants turned on police who used tear gas to try to disperse the rioters.

(Article by Nick Gutteridge & Alix Culbertson, republished from //www.express.co.uk/news/world/648285/Calais-migrants-refugees-French-authorities-raze-Jungle-camp-judge)

Demolition crews entered the crime-ridden camp on Sunday morning after a judge gave his final blessing to plans to pull down a huge section of the tent shanty town.

Hundreds of migrants are being evicted from the southern section of the camp in a move which could reduce its population to less than a thousand.

But as French removal staff tried to dismantle temporary structures in the camp, some were set on fire while stones were thrown at them and then police who stepped in to help.

Police responded by throwing tear gas bombs into the camp, with the wind blowing the gas across the entire southern section.

A massive police presence has been deployed to the makeshift shanty town, with more than 100 officers guarding bulldozers demolishing the southern part of the camp.

Earlier officers had threatened to use force against those who refuse to evacuate the area, according to reports from social media.

The Calais prefect, Fabienne Buccio, said the threat was justified due to “verbal and physical assaults” made against authorities at the end of last week.