Illegal immigrant hid in engine bay of choir’s tour coach

♦ A private school choir arrived back from a 500-mile coach trip to find a suspected teenage illegal immigrant wedged in the engine.

The Chapel Choir, from the 500 year-old independent The King’s School, in Chester, had enjoyed a choral trip to Paris. They travelled back on a Calais ferry on Wednesday, driving the 288 miles from Dover to Chester. But after parents had picked up their children, a “moaning noise” was heard coming from the school coach’s engine bay. Staff opened the bonnet and were amazed to find the 17-year-old wedged inside.

When Cheshire Police officers arrived, they freed the boy and took him to hospital to be checked over before arresting him and handing him over to social services.

Vicky Titmuss, director of external relations at The King’s School, said: “Our Schola Cantorum choir and accompanying staff were returning to King’s from a highly successful music tour in Paris at around 8pm. After the pupils had been collected by their parents and had all left the car park, a moaning noise alerted the remaining King’s staff and coach driver.”