A LORRY driver from Accrington was at the centre of a dramatic swoop by police who found 24 stowaways in the back of his trailer, it was revealed today.

The driver, who had returned to England from Spain, became suspicious after he looked in his wing mirror and saw a hand waving from the back of his vehicle.

He carried on driving until he spotted a police car and raised the alarm.

When police opened the doors of the vehicle, they found the stowaways in the trailer. Police said they were believed to be Eastern Europeans.

The lorry driver, who has not been named, is believed to work for an East Lancashire haulage firm and has not been charged in connection with the incident.

He was driving through Chelmsford in Essex on Thursday when he noticed the hand sticking out of his vehicle.

The search found 22 men, a woman and a boy on board the vehicle.

Police said the group had probably boarded the lorry in Valencia and were now in the hands of immigration officials who will decide if they can stay in the UK or are deported.

A spokeswoman for Essex Police said: "This driver noticed there was something wrong and found a police officer to report it to. The matter is now in the hands of the immigration authorities."

Police said the driver had not been charged in relation to the incident.

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