Migrants freed from lorry with glued door

ELEVEN suspected illegal immigrants, including six children, were found squeezed into the back of a lorry that had its lock glued shut.

Firefighters had to use an industrial disc cutter to free the ten Iraqis and one Afghan.

Onlookers said the lock on the rear door of the lorry had apparently been damaged by force and could also have been superglued.

Firefighters were called by diners at a roadside cafe who heard banging and shouting coming from a lorry that had stopped in a lay-by on the A303 near Warminster, Wiltshire.

Police removed the migrants from the lorry, which was transporting Belgian chocolates.

It is not known what action is being taken against the driver. He had tried to open the lock to the back of the truck with police but could not because it was damaged.

He had been returning to Taunton in Somerset from Belgium and had reportedly stopped for lunch at the café.

Dave Thomas, owner of the Willoughby Hedge cafe, said: ‘Once we were told of the banging, the driver went straight away to the lorry to try and open the doors, but to no avail.

‘It seemed they had been damaged by both glue and force and could not be opened – this is a typical ruse by gangs that organise people into the country.’

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: ‘As a welfare concern, all of the group were individually medically assessed at the scene and then deemed fit to be held by the police for illegally entering the UK.

‘The matter will now be handed over to our colleagues from the Home Office immigration department.’

‘A typical ruse used by gangs’