Two photo e-fits of a man suspected of raping a UK journalism student at a camp for illegal immigrants in Calais have been distributed across France, to Interpol and the British authorities.

French police have launched an international manhunt for the attacker amid fears he has already fled the country.

They compiled the images from descriptions given by the victim, who is being comforted by the Pas-de-Calais Victim Support Association, and a witness.

The 31-year-old Canadian-born student based in London was attacked on Tuesday night as she worked on a report on the make-shift camps outside the French port, where immigrants attempting to cross the Channel gather.

The area she was in, surrounded by trees, is known as "The Jungle".

Investigators have traces of the attacker's DNA and his fingerprints, but they believe he may have already slipped through border controls and may even be in England.

Philippe Muller, Boulogne-sur-Mer's vice-prosecutor, said police suspected the wanted man was a people smuggler or migrant.

He said: “We fear he may well have already gone, possibly to England or to another French port. It’s also possible he’s gone to Belgium or the Netherlands.”

The camps hold a mix of immigrants, mainly men, from African countries including Sudan, Mali and Eritrea, as well as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Officers have already questioned dozens of men at the camp following the attack.

A police spokesman said: “Conditions in the camp are very hard. The occupants’ sole aim is to secure their passage to Britain. You have to be very careful when entering these camps.

“The people there, mostly men, have an illegal status, they have no job and no home. The Jungle is a dangerous place and it’s not safe to go there.”

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