27 suspected illegal migrants arrested in Surrey after being found in lorry at M25 service station
None of those arrested required hospital treatment
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Police have arrested 27 suspected illegal migrants found inside a lorry at a service station on the M25 in Surrey.
A Surrey Police spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that 27 people had been arrested "on suspicion of illegal entry".
Officers arrived at the Cobham service station, off the M25 in Surrey, at around 10.50am after suspicions around a lorry parked in the rest point.
Sean Ingham, 48, was pulling into the service station when the immigrants were arrested. “They must have been exhausted. They were all just lying there, drinking water.”
“When I pulled in to Cobham services I saw all the police and saw people lying on the floor and thought it was a demonstration at first,” he told The Independent.
Mr Ingham, a tanker driver, said all the individuals he saw at the station appeared to be men. Most were lying on the floor, surrounded by approximately eight police officers, having just been taken off an Italian fridge lorry. “They were lying about in sleeping bags with big coats on.”
He added: “They were all being very helpful and quiet.”
A South East Coast Ambulance crew also attended the scene, assessing those inside the vehicle. A spokesperson said that their first priority was to assess the individuals who had been discovered in the "inner lorry".
"The main thing was to make sure that they were not dehydrated," they told The Independent. "No one required hospital treatment."
The spokesperson declined to release further information about the alleged illegal immigrants whose case has now been handed to UK Visas and Immigration Services.
The lorry driver, who has not been identified, was also allegedly detained, Sky News reported.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments