15 arrested after being found in lorry in Wiltshire

LONDON: Fifteen people have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences after being discovered in the back of a lorry in Wiltshire.

In addition, a man in his 50s from Ireland has been arrested on suspicion of assisting with illegal entry in the country. Wiltshire Police said they closed the A350 at the Kington Langley crossroads near Chippenham after being called by a member of the public shortly before 8.30pm on Wednesday.

Officers attended the scene and 15 people — all believed to be men aged between 16 and 30 — were located in the rear of the vehicle. Ambulance service staff carried out initial medical checks on the group and all but one were deemed fit and well and were taken into custody. One person was taken to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon as a precaution but was later released into custody.

Wiltshire Police said the force was “not clear” about the nationalities of the 15 at this stage. Superintendent Steve Cox said: “We are working closely with partner agencies as we conduct further enquiries - I fully understand that recent tragic events elsewhere in the country will mean there will be increased interest and heightened concern regarding this incident.

“I’d like to thank all emergency services who responded last night — as with all incidents, we didn’t know the scale of what we would potentially be dealing with and all first responders showed true professionalism at the scene. I would also like to extend my thanks to the vigilant member of the public who initially reported this incident to us — it is thanks to them that this incident was resolved swiftly and safely with no serious casualties.”

It comes after eight people were arrested earlier this week by Vietnamese police in connection with the 39 migrants found dead in a lorry in Essex. They were held on Sunday on suspicion of organising people smuggling overseas.