Charlotte Longstaff, 17, and her boyfriend, travelled from Leicester to make a trip to Paris to celebrate their first anniversary, setting off at 07:45 GMT.

"We're now staying the night in a hotel in Victoria which is costing £90 per night.

"Our anniversary celebration was meant to be on Monday. I am disappointed but we will try to get to Paris for Valentine's Day instead."

Mike Curtis-Rouse emails an update to his situation: Further to my last email, our 0945 to Euston is now en route to Disneyland Paris! We are saved, what a great idea by Eurostar. Morale rapidly increasing...

Image source, Getty Images

Officials have been giving out leaflets to passengers caught up in the problems, at St Pancras International.

Mr Sheppard, from Bethnal Green in London, said: "There are loads of people just trying to figure out what they should do. We came down to the Ibis hotel and since we did about 10 other people have turned up trying to get a room for the night."

Matt Sheppard, 26, who is stuck in Paris trying to get back to London, has told the Press Association that he was told trains might not be running from Gare du Nord station in Paris "until Monday". Eurostar has not said when services will resume.

Joe Spence in Canterbury emails: My girlfriend found herself stranded in Brussels, so has jumped on a train to Calais to catch the ferry to Dover instead. Tell her I'll sort dinner out for when she gets here... and to pick up some wine whilst she's in France please.

Kate Hodge, who is aiming for Shrewsbury, emails: Queuing as I speak at Calais, hoping to get the 18.15 ferry to complete a cross-channel journey that started in the French alps at 4.30 this morning.

It's mayhem here at the ferry terminal - but due to the number of people, rather than lack of communication. All staff at both the shuttle terminal and ferry port have been both helpful and cheerful. Can't say the same for all the passengers!!

Jerry and Clare Wood email: We were on the first train that stopped our (UK) side of the tunnel. After an hour we were told about the smoke and the train went back to London. We were due to join 12 friends in Paris for a 50th party, looks like they will struggle to get back tomorrow with their hangovers. Although we are very disappointed not to be there, the world has bigger problems right now, so we will stiffen our upper lips!

Image source, Reuters

The tunnel closure has also caused disruption at Gare du Nord in Paris, where news of the suspension of Eurostar services was posted on signs at the train station.

Sophie Potter emails from Brussels: I checked in for the 14.56 Eurostar service from Brussels to London earlier this afternoon and was relaxing in the departures lounge. News of the Channel Tunnel closure broke on the BBC News app before the staff at the Brussels departures terminal even found out.

I had told other passengers before the poor lady on the information desk knew anything was wrong. I have to be at London Gatwick airport for 10 tomorrow morning in order to accompany a group of school children on a work experience trip to Montpellier, so I was very worried about getting back to the UK in time.

I have been lucky to get a flight to London later this evening but there are hundreds of passengers at Brussels airport trying to find hotel space for tonight.

Eurostar has said, external passengers can exchange tickets free of charge, transfer them for another available service within the next 120 days, or apply for a refund.

Kent Police said the fire happened at the French end of the tunnel and that no-one was hurt in the incident.

However, large queues have developed at St Pancras International - the Eurostar terminal in London - and queues of lorries have formed at Folkestone, following the closure of the M20, which serves the Eurotunnel.

To recap on the situation, passengers are facing severe disruption after the Channel Tunnel was closed "until further notice" following a fire on a lorry inside the tunnel earlier.

Eurostar has said all its services for Saturday have been cancelled and trains have have returned to their stations.

BBC correspondent Daniel Boettcher said it was "calming down" at London's St Pancras International but there are still "hundreds of people inside the station" trying to get information.

@50degreesam tweets, external: The channel tunnel consists of 2 separate bores. Why are Eurostar not operating trains single-line through the one without the fire?

Image source, EPA

Passengers have been trying to get travel information at St Pancras International, after Eurostar said 26 trains had been cancelled.

Stephen Hicks, a passenger stranded in Lille, northern France, said he was one of a group of 12 people travelling back to the UK.

He told the BBC: "Our train was stopped at Lille and there was confusion over what was happening.

"We are now on a train going through Lille towards Paris. We are going to be in Paris for the night but we have no idea where we'll be staying."

Delayed passengers have been offered a refund for their tickets. This was the scene at St Pancras in London earlier.

Stuart Mcallister emails: I was waiting to get on the 2.45 Eurostar to London when they announced that there had been a fire in the tunnel. Eurostar have put me up in a hotel for the night. The staff at Brussels Midi were great. Really trying to help people and keeping them informed. Just hope I can get home tomorrow morning.