Navy officials have launched an inquiry after a suspected asylum seeker was discovered in the back of a lorry full of missile parts at a naval base. The truck had just arrived at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth when the stowaway, thought to be Syrian, jumped out.
| "That man! I think he's Syrian!" |
He was caught by military police and transferred into the custody of immigration officials at Portsmouth ferry port.
"Here's a nice Syrian for you, Alistaire!"
"Hah! You only think he's Syrian!" |
The MoD say there was no danger as the missile parts were packed in boxes.
| "It's okay. He wasn't smoking." |
HMS Nelson is the Royal Navy's main Portsmouth base, home to the aircraft carrier Invincible. An MoD spokesman said: "We can confirm that Ministry of Defence Police did apprehend a suspected illegal immigrant after he jumped from the back of a lorry in Portsmouth naval base. He was transferred to the custody of the immigration service at Portsmouth continental ferry port. There will be an investigation into the incident to discover the full facts and to see whether procedures need to be improved." He added: "If somebody comes into the base in the back of a truck it's obviously a concern. It was dealt with by security." |