Immigrants caught at British Army barracks

Updated 10.32 Thu Jul 17 2008
Keywords: Gloucestershire, immigrants, Army

Five illegal immigrants have been caught at an Army barracks after they hid on board trucks in a military convoy.

The men were spotted jumping from two lorries inside the Duke of Gloucester Barracks in South Cerney in Gloucestershire on Tuesday evening.

"Fortunately there was a squadron on duty and a few burly Fijian soldiers wrestled the first two to the ground" - Army Captain Giles Cutter

Police said it was thought the men had stowed themselves on board the lorries, which were being driven by private contractors, at the French port of Calais.

The convoy was shipping military Land Rovers back from Kosovo.

Army Captain Giles Cutter said: "They all seemed very jovial and quite happy. They did not seem concerned they had jumped into an army barracks,

"Fortunately there was a squadron on duty and a few burly Fijian soldiers wrestled the first two to the ground."

Police said the men, two from India, two from Afghanistan and an Iranian, aged between 15 and 26, were taken to a local police station before being handed over to immigration officials and taken to a detention centre.

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