UK Border Agency officers have stopped four would-be stowaways from sneaking into Britain in the back of a lorry bound for Ringwood.

The group, two men and two women from Eritrea in the north of Africa, were discovered by agency officers using specialist heartbeat detectors at the Coquelles Channel Tunnel terminal in northern France.

They were hiding inside an Austrian-registered vehicle which was carrying a load of industrial equipment to an address on Verwood Road in Ringwood on July 20.

The stowaways were handed over to French Border Police, and the vehicle was allowed to continue its journey. However both the driver and the haulage company involved now face potential fines if they are unable to prove they took steps to secure their vehicles.

Carole Upshall, UK Border Agency Director for South and Europe, said: “This incident shows why we base UK Border Agency staff in France – to stop would-be illegal immigrants before they can reach the UK.

“Our strong presence in French ports helps protect the whole of the UK from people attempting to enter the country illegally.”

As well as heartbeat detectors, UK Border Agency officers use sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide probes and physical searches to find people hiding in vehicles.

A new leaflet is being issued by the UK Border Agency, in partnership with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), giving advice to lorry drivers transporting freight to and from the UK on how to prevent illegal immigration and avoid becoming victims of crime.

Go to ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk for more information.