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Investigation at Tug Haven and Limekiln Street areas of Dover after petrol bomb attack

Eyewitnesses have spoken of their horror at today's tragedy in Dover, involving a petrol bombing and a man's death.

This morning it is believed that someone threw the missiles at the Western Jet Foil, an asylum seeker reception centre.

Police examine the car at the petrol station
Police examine the car at the petrol station
Graham Hall: saw the aftermath near the Tug Haven
Graham Hall: saw the aftermath near the Tug Haven

It is thought he then drove for a few minutes to a petrol station and was found dead, police confirmed.

Police say the incident is not currently being treated as a terror attack.

Graham Hall, a lorry driver, saw the aftermath at the scene when emergency services had poured into the area.

He told Kent Online: "I saw all this commotion going on and I didn't know what was going on.

"It was absolutely horrendous."

Another trucker, Mark Wilkinson said: "I was going for a coffee and when I arrived at the garage I was told I couldn't cross the road into the garage because it was a crime scene.

Mark Wilkinson: arrived ar the petrol station in the aftermath.
Mark Wilkinson: arrived ar the petrol station in the aftermath.

"You don't expect to see anything like that on a Sunday morning just going for a coffee

"As I walked past I saw a car with a body. At first thought it was a gangland killing or something but obviously it wasn't.

"The guy who died seemed to be in his late 50s or early 60s. He was white and grey haired and looked fairly well dressed."

Police had first been called to the scene at 11.22am today and they were joined there by firefighters and an army bomb disposal team.

Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the bomb experts were also at the Dover South Services petrol station in Limekiln Street, half a mile away.

Emergency services in Dover following the petrol bomb attack Photo: Sam Lennon
Emergency services in Dover following the petrol bomb attack Photo: Sam Lennon

They were examining and working on a white SEAT car, thought this had been driven by the man behind the petrol bombs.

The Western Jet Foil at Dover Western Docks is an initial reception centre for asylum seekers when brought ashore after being rescued at sea.

Yesterday 990 had been detected in 24 small boats according to Ministry of Defence figures.

By last month the numbers arriving in the UK in 2022 had gone above the figure for all last year.

It was counted as 28,561 by September 13 against 28,526 for January to December 2021.

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