Two migrants were discovered in the luggage compartment of a school coach returning to the UK from France.
The discovery of the pair - believed to be asylum seekers and include a child -has sparked renewed attention on the growing number of people resorting to dangerous stowaway journeys.
They are believed to have boarded the coach undetected in northern France. They remained hidden through Border Force checks at Dover and were only discovered when the vehicle stopped at Birchanger Green services on the M11 late on Friday evening.
The coach was carrying around 50 Year 7 pupils from a secondary school in Cambridgeshire, returning from a day trip to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Teachers reportedly heard noises from beneath the vehicle, prompting the driver to investigate. When the compartment was opened, the two individuals emerged.
The children were brought into the service station and told the coach had a “mechanical issue” while authorities responded. The delay lasted just over an hour before they were able to resume the journey.
An Essex Police spokeswoman confirmed: “We were alerted to concerns for the welfare of two people discovered under a bus on the M11 near Stansted on Friday evening.
“Officers were called out to a rest stop shortly before 10 pm. One person has been taken into police custody, while one is being referred to social care.”
One parent said the incident was unexpected: “The children were really tired because they had been up at 3 am, and they were meant to get home at 10 pm.
“Because of the hold-up to arrest the migrants, they didn’t get back until well after 11 pm. It’s a total shock because they could have been any two people. Thankfully they did not try to do anything, but I feel uneasy knowing they were close to my child.”
This incident comes amid a noticeable rise in such attempts. Just last week, 13 people were seen exiting a lorry at a supermarket distribution center in south-east London.
According to recent figures, 5,874 individuals attempting to travel irregularly via ports such as Calais, Dunkirk and Coquelles were intercepted last year - a 22% increase from 2023.
The Home Office said an investigation is underway into how the two individuals managed to board the vehicle, adding: “We are relentless in our pursuit of people-smuggling gangs and stand ready to respond to all methods, including coaches and other clandestine routes, using a wide range of techniques and technology to protect our border security.”
