Trending Video Shows the Moment Four Illegal Migrants Climbed Out of a Lorry One After Another After Entering Britain Undetected

The owner of a removals company says he has received death threats after four suspected illegal migrants allegedly entered Britain by hiding inside one of his lorries.

The incident happened near Maldon in Essex at around 3pm on August 3. Video shared on social media appeared to show four people climbing through a hole in the roof of the lorry before jumping to the ground and running away.

John Scott, the director of Algarve Removals, told GB News that he had never experienced anything like it during his 30 years in the removals business. He said the company had received angry messages, abuse and threats after footage of the incident spread online.

Mr Scott explained that the driver had been travelling from Europe to the UK but could not complete the entire journey without stopping because of rules controlling how many hours lorry drivers are allowed to work.

The driver stopped overnight at a truck park in Reims, around 200 kilometres south of Calais. Mr Scott said his drivers normally avoid stopping close to Calais because of the risk of people attempting to enter their vehicles.

He described the truck park in Reims as reasonably secure, although he accepted that no parking area could be completely protected.

According to Mr Scott, the four people somehow climbed onto the lorry’s roof, which is approximately 4.2 metres high. They then allegedly cut a large opening into its soft roof and climbed inside without the driver knowing.

The lorry left Reims the following morning and travelled directly to Calais. Mr Scott said the driver did not stop anywhere else before arriving at the border.

Despite the four people allegedly being hidden inside, the vehicle passed through security checks conducted by both French and British border officials.

Mr Scott said French officers inspected the back doors of the vehicle and used a search dog around the lorry. The rear doors had special security locks that could not easily be opened without the correct equipment.

After completing the French checks, the vehicle moved around 400 yards into the UK Border Force control area. British officers reportedly inspected the lorry twice, but the people hiding inside were not discovered.

The lorry was then cleared to continue its journey through the Channel Tunnel. It arrived in Folkestone and travelled along the M20 towards the company’s depot in Maldon.

When the driver arrived near the depot, the company’s yard was busy. Staff therefore asked him to park temporarily in a lay-by situated between two warehouses.

A passer-by recorded what happened next. The footage appeared to show four people climbing out through the hole in the lorry’s roof. They jumped down from the vehicle and quickly left the area.

Mr Scott said neither the driver nor the company knew that anyone was hiding in the lorry. He questioned how the damage to the roof had not been noticed during the security inspections in Calais.

He suggested that border officials should install cameras on high poles above the lanes used by lorries. These cameras could provide a clear view of the top of every vehicle and help officers identify holes, damaged covers or other signs that someone may have entered.

Mr Scott argued that every truck passes through the same controlled lanes, meaning an overhead camera system should be relatively simple to introduce. He said a large cut in the roof would be difficult to hide if officials could properly inspect the vehicle from above.

The company operates around 500 trips every year, but Mr Scott said this was the first time people had secretly entered one of its vehicles in this way.

Police initially arrested the driver on suspicion of helping people enter the country illegally. However, he was later released without further action after officers investigated what had happened.

Mr Scott praised Chelmsford Police for carrying out a thorough and fair investigation. However, he said the reaction on social media had been extremely distressing.

Because the company advertises locally using his mobile telephone number, members of the public were able to contact him directly. He claimed some callers threatened to harm him if the four people committed crimes or caused problems in the local area.

Others allegedly said they knew where he worked and would come after him if their homes were broken into or their children were harmed.

Mr Scott said he could not understand why he and his employees were being blamed for something they did not know was happening. He stressed that the company had taken security precautions and that the lorry had passed through official checks on both sides of the Channel.

He said the experience had made him reconsider whether to continue publishing his personal mobile number in the company’s advertisements.

Essex Police carried out an intensive search of the area after receiving reports about the four individuals. However, officers were unable to find them.

A police spokesperson said resources were no longer actively searching the area but added that officers still wanted to hear from anyone with information about the individuals’ whereabouts.

The Home Office said the Government remained determined to pursue people-smuggling gangs and respond to illegal entry methods involving lorries and other hidden routes.

A spokesperson said planned immigration reforms were intended to reduce the reasons people attempt to enter Britain illegally while making it easier to remove those who have no legal right to remain.

The Home Office also said it would continue working with French authorities to disrupt criminal gangs responsible for arranging dangerous and illegal journeys into the UK.