News

MPs are demanding the government cracks down on illegal immigrants smuggling themselves into the UK and attempting to escape from lorries as far north as the Midlands. But the calls come despite haulage operators saying the problem is not as bad as it was a couple of years ago.

Labour MP for Northampton north, Sally Keeble, has written to the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, saying: "My county is a hub for  the haulage industry and unfortunately this has been associated with a considerable amount of people-smuggling."

Conservative MP Brian Binley has also demanded that border controls are tightened. However, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) believes the problem has not increased in recent months, despite a flurry of news reports suggesting otherwise.

Peter Cullum, RHA man-ager of international affairs, says: "We have had a few stories in the past few months, but at the moment, statistically, it's probably pretty low. Some people would say things are getting worse from our perspective it's the same as it was: pretty infrequent."

Northamptonshire Police has also played down local reports that stowaways in LGVs were being discovered in the county "at least once a week". A spokeswoman says: "It's not uncommon, but that figure isn't accurate."

Northamptonshire hauliers C Butt and EM  Rogers both say they haven't experienced any problems with illegal immigrants in their vehicles for more than a year. An EM Rogers spokesman adds: "Yes, it's a pain to us as it is to anyone else coming into the country, but it's not as bad as it was in the past."