Driver Arrested After Suspected Migrants Found In Back Of Lorry On M6
10 January 2019, 06:47 | Updated: 10 January 2019, 06:52
A 42 year-old man is being questioned after 27 suspected migrants were found in the back of a lorry.
The vehicle was stopped by police on the M6 near Stoke-on-Trent on Wednesday evening (9th) at around 5:45pm.
Part of the motorway was closed in both directions for some time, affecting hundreds of Burton Albion fans travelling up to Manchester City for the first leg of their League Cup semi-final.
Some of the group fled from the lorry, but were detained by officers before being given a medical assessment and transferred to immigration officials for interview.
A man is now being held on suspicion of facilitating the illegal entry of persons unknown to the UK.
Deputy Chief Constable Nick Baker, said: “We recognise the disruption this has caused to road users and we’d like to thank the public for their patience and co-operation. We were acting on information where there was real concern for people in distress and therefore it was necessary for us to take immediate and appropriate action.
“The response to this incident has involved multiple forces, agencies and partners and I’d like to thank those organisations for their help and assistance.”
