TWO sisters have visited Calais on a mercy mission after feeling “deeply affected” by the migrant crisis.

Jemma Collins, 25, and sister Laura, 22, of Brightlingsea, spent a weekend in the so-called Calais Jungle.

They met a refugee from Afghanistan, who used to play for the national cricket team, who has made a number of attempts to climb over the fence to get into the UK.

The girls said many people had broken limbs trying to scale the fence, and they had found it devastating talking to the man.

Teacher Jemma said: “We felt terrible. I had to wear my sunglasses as I was walking along crying.

“I knew I had to try to be strong for them. It was so hard-hitting seeing that.”

The sisters went with a waste management group they found on Facebook.

When they arrived, they found out what individual families needed and went to get the supplies for them.

Jemma said: “We didn’t want to be by ourselves on the first day, so the group gave us a lift to the camp and went around with us.

“But on the second day, we went on our own. The donations out there aren’t getting distributed, so we went around asking people for their specific needs.”

She said it was like being in an action film driving her VW Beetle through a swamp to the distribution centre.

They could hardly describe the awful conditions.

Jemma said: “I gave two brothers from Iraq some Mars bars. They were just walking along holding hands by themselves.

“I can’t even begin to describe the level of poverty.”

The sisters visited last week and now hope to make regular trips.

Laura, an occupational therapy student at Essex University, said: “We will be returning later this month to Calais to show our support and to take more donations.

“We can honestly say we have nevermet suchwonderful people living in such a horrendous place.”

The sisters pay for the trips themselves and hope to set up a fundraising page.