Seven people believed to be migrants have been found hiding inside a lorry in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, as security sources warn that attempts to reach Britain by road remain a persistent problem.
Police were called to Britannia Road at about 3.25pm on Thursday after concerns were raised about the vehicle. Officers detained all seven people found inside and arrested the lorry driver.
Video footage shows police surrounding the rear of a yellow lorry while a man in a high-visibility orange vest opens its doors. Officers can be heard repeatedly asking members of the public to stop filming.
Several men wearing hooded tracksuits then appear to crawl out from inside the vehicle. They climb down from a height as officers wait below.
Hertfordshire Police said the driver, a man in his 30s, had been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry. Officers are working with the immigration service.
The discovery comes amid claims that some people are turning to lorries and other vehicles as an alternative to crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Security sources said attempts included trying to jump into moving lorries or cutting through vehicle roofs to enter undetected. One source said the problem was not as large as it had been before smugglers shifted much of their focus to dinghies, but remained persistent.
Another insider said it was not known how many people might reach Britain without being detected in France or after arriving in the UK. Those who escaped checks could leave their vehicles and disappear without coming to the attention of authorities, the source said.
The change in methods has emerged as patrols on beaches, alongside poor weather, have contributed to a reported 45 per cent fall in small-boat arrivals compared with the same point last year.
More than 200,000 migrants have nevertheless arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel since 2018, based on official figures covering 2018 to 2025 and provisional figures for this year.
In April, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a three-year agreement with French authorities involving £662 million in support for beach patrols. She is also seeking changes to the asylum system, including proposals to make refugee status temporary.
Police said: “Officers attended the scene and seven people were located inside. All seven have been detained.”
