The lorry stopped at Peter Carter Haulage Contractors, on Mill Road, to be weighed on Tuesday, December 19, having travelled from France with the cargo via the Channel Tunnel.

But as the vehicle ground to a halt yard owner Peter Carter heard banging coming from the trailer and knew immediately what was happening.

He said: “We have experienced this before so I called the police and waited for them to arrive.

“They were mainly youngsters and must have been in there for five hours or more. They were fine, they had wrapped themselves up nice and warm but they were pleased to get out. The police came and took them off."

A police spokesman confirmed officers and a police helicopter were called to the yard shortly before 10am, when eight suspected illegal immigrants from Eritrea, in East Africa, were detained after they were found in a lorry being driven by a Polish driver. The matter has now been passed to the Home Office Immigration Agency for further investigation.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “Eight Eritrean nationals, five females and three males, were arrested.

“We have already introduced a number of measures to make our borders more secure. However, there will inevitably be occasions when illegal entrants manage to penetrate our borders unlawfully, and some do so in lorries.

“The agency takes very seriously any attempt to evade the immigration control and constantly reviews measures in place to counter emerging threats.

“This is vital in preventing and deterring illegal entry to the UK by individuals or organised groups who may use particular methods of entry to the UK which endanger life.”