Channel Tunnel without Schengen Visa

[clairey]

Has anyone tried going through the Channel Tunnel without a schengen visa on the basis of their marriage/partnership to an EU citizen?

Having been told in the summer by a Portuguese Immigration Officer that my Albanian husband no-longer needed a schengen visa to visit the Schengen areas as he is married to me and holds ILR, I thought I'd email the French Consulate to check if they have implemented the Directive that would allow him to travel visa-free. Their reply?

"Read our website".

We want to go to France at Christmas and I don't know if it's worth trying to go without a visa, armed with our marriage certificate and a copy of the Directive in French. Having spent a year in France, I know how bureaucratic they can be. I don't want us to have to spend 3 hours at immigration whilst they debate the finer points of the Directive. Any views?

[Prawo]

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, unfortunately.