Illegal immigrants spill out of lorry in Bexhill car park

Bemused bystanders quickly used mobile phones to alert police as Tuesday lunchtime s bizarre incident in Ravenside car park unfolded.

Witnesses said the German-registered truck turned off the A259 trunk road into the retail and leisure park and pulled up outside the Megabowl.

One man who declined to give his name said: We couldn t believe it. He pulled up, grabbed a hammer and went round to the back.

When he opened the doors all these people came out.

Another said: I grabbed my phone and rang the police. But at least four other people had beaten me to it. I have never seen anything like it.

A woman said: The lorry driver had armed himself with a hammer. I don t know why he opened the doors. He didn t try to stop them.

At the scene, Bexhill sector commander Inspector Max Mosley said what appeared to be two families had been detained by police who were still looking for possible others who had run away.

The families, including young children, could be seen sitting under guard in the back of a police vehicle.

Police searched stores at Ravenside and the neighbouring beach at Glyne Gap.

At Ravenside, the lorry driver told police he was an Austrian, living in Germany and driving for a Swedish company.

He said he had been bringing aluminium to Newhaven and Bristol via Ramsgate.

Later, Inspector Mosley said: We have arrested the driver on suspicion of assisting illegal immigrants to enter the country, contrary to the Immigration Act, the reason being that witnesses seemed to be saying that he had opened the doors and allowed them to star-burst out.