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Search forImmigrant escape bid thwarted by factory workers
Friday, November 21, 2008, 16:14
Six men and a 15-year-old boy jumped into the back of a lorry at Calais and were hiding among pallets of steel shelves bound for Gloucestershire.
They bolted when the driver opened up the truck at BiG DUG shelving suppliers in village of Staunton - but were chased down by six warehouse workers.
The staff pursued them across fields before apprehending five of them and taking them back to the factory, where they were given tea and coffee until police arrived.
Gloucestershire police confirmed that six of the immigrants were being held in custody while another was still being hunted.
Richard Rowlatt, warehouse manager at Big Dug said ''all hell broke loose'' when the immigrants bolted from the truck.
Richard, 35, said: ''It was chaos. The shutters went up and they just made a break for it across the fields.
''We're in a pretty isolated area surrounded by fields and they obviously thought they'd be able to make it away on foot - although god knows where they would have ended up.
''But about six or seven of my lads ran after them and within a couple of minutes they were all rounded up.
''They looked pretty shocked - I don't think they expected to be chased by such burly lads.''
The 40ft lorry had travelled from Eastern Europe and was delivering steel shelves which were going to be stored in the 10,000 sq ft warehouse before being sold on.
The lorry arrived at Big Dug's warehouse at 3pm on Thursday and within 30 minutes six of the seven illegal immigrants had been rounded up and taken back to the factory.
A ''shaken up'' 15-year-old Afghan told Richard he had jumped in the rear of the lorry with two Iranians, a Sudanese national and two others at Calais.
He spent two days in the back of the lorry as it made its way to Gloucestershire before trying to flea over surrounding fields.
Richard added: ''The young lad was shaking and actually looked pretty scared, but once we'd told him he was safe he seemed ok and told us in broken English about his journey.
''It was a bit sad really - all the blokes looked scared and obviously didn't know what to expect once they got here.
''They were filthy, shaking and smelt pretty bad.''
A spokeswoman for Gloucestershire Police said: ''We had a report at 3pm that a lorry had arrived at a base in Staunton and people were seen running from the back.
''Six suspected illegal immigrants were arrested and will now be dealt with by immigration officials.
''There is at least one male who was not apprehended.''
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