Man kills himself after attacks on UK migrant processing centre in Dover

A man threw petrol bombs at a new British immigration border force centre in Dover, England. He then drove off and killed himself, according to a photographer present at the scene of the incident

The attacker, a white man in a checked shirt, drove up to the centre in a white SEAT sports utility vehicle at around 1120 GMT. He got out and threw three petrol bombs, one of which failed to go off, the photographer said.

He then drove to a nearby petrol station, tied an improvised noose around his neck, attached it to a metal pole and drove off, killing himself.

“Officers established that two to three incendiary devices had been thrown into a Home Office immigration premises,” Kent Police said in a statement.

One minor injury was reported and the suspect has been identified and located. Police were unable to confirm reports that the suspect had died and said inquiries are ongoing.

Footage shared on social media shows a fire at the processing centre and a nearby petrol station.

Orange flames and thick black smoke can be seen billowing outside the centre as staff walk nearby

Images of a white car, said to belong to the attacker, have also been released.

Army bomb disposal units were seen inspecting a car at a garage in Dover following the incident at the migrant processing centre.

Police have cordoned off a BP petrol station on the A20 opposite the Home Office immigration centre, formerly known as Tug Haven.

Officers can be seen standing by a white 69-plate SEAT SUV – believed to have been driven by the suspect.

The area has been sealed off with police tape, while the vehicle, which is parked by the rear car wash, has been covered with blue tarpaulin.

The number of people attempting the dangerous crossing over the Channel to enter Britain has risen sharply. The government is facing criticism from some quarters that border controls are too weak, while charities and human rights groups say asylum seekers are being treated inhumanely.

Huge lines of people thought to be migrants could be seen waiting to be processed at the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent, as a total of 990 arrived.

Nearly 40,000 have arrived in the UK so far this year after attempting the treacherous trip from France, crossing the world’s busiest shipping lanes in dinghies and other small boats, provisional figures show.

It is the highest number of arrivals in one day for a number of weeks, with more crossings taking place on Sunday morning.

The highest number in a single day was set on August 22 when 1,295 people arrived in the country.

On Saturday, the Times claimed that decisions made by Home Secretary Suella Braverman led directly to overcrowding and outbreaks of scabies and diphtheria at a different migrant processing centre in Kent, citing multiple government sources.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident at Western Jet Foil, Dover and police are in attendance. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”