Suspected migrants leave fruit and veg strewn across the road as they jump out of a lorry to spark police helicopter hunt that ends in four arrests
- Suspected migrants were spotted jumping out of the back of a lorry on the A38
- Four people were arrested by police on suspicion of immigration offences
- The stowaways left fruit and vegetables strewn across the road in Somerset
Suspected migrants were spotted jumping out of the back of a lorry that left wooden pallets full of fruit and vegetables strewn across a busy road.
A bystander filmed several people coming out of the HGV in North Petherton on the A38, Somerset, at 8.15pm last night.
Four arrests were made on immigration offences after a huge police operation was launched and a helicopter was scrambled in the hunt for the suspected stowaways.
Eyewitness Ellie Miller, who drove past the stopped lorry, told ITN News that its back doors were wide open and the stock inside appeared to have been knocked over.
She said: ‘I saw the lorry and its back doors were open. My boyfriend and I drove past. It looked like people had climbed out of the way – the stock was leaning.
One of the suspected migrants is filmed running down the A38 after jumping out of the back of the lorry
The footage shows the lorry stopped on the A38 as several people are spotted jumping out of the back
‘We saw six police cars, followed by ambulances and a fire engine.’
No one was injured in the incident and the road was closed while police searched for the suspected migrants.
Britney Pope, who shot the video, is heard shouting: ‘Mate, that’s some illegal immigrant s*** – outside me house!
‘That’s what the f****** banging was. Mate, I’m having a heart attack.’
No one was injured in the incident and the road was closed while police searched for the suspected migrants. Pictured: Wooden pallets of fruit and vegetables left on the A38
As many as ten police cars, a helicopter and two ambulances were called to the incident.
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: ‘We were called at around 8.15pm tonight by a member of the public who’d witnessed several people exit the back of a lorry on the A38 at North Petherton.
‘Officers attended and a number of people have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.
‘No one is believed to be injured. The road is currently closed while we carry out enquiries and search for others who made off from the scene.’
Strawberries are strewn across the busy road after the suspected migrants jumped out of the lorry
Eyewitness Ellie Miller, who drove past the stopped lorry, told ITN News that its back doors were wide open and the stock inside appeared to have been knocked over