Moment illegal migrants climb out of lorry from Spain in Essex after 'slicing their way through roof to sneak through security at Calais'

By MARK DUELL, DEPUTY CHIEF REPORTER (DIGITAL) Published: 09:07, 4 August 2026 | Updated: 09:08, 4 August 2026 This is the moment four illegal migrants jumped out of a lorry before walking off into the Essex countryside after stowing away in France by cutting open the roof. The vehicle had been moving a homeowner's possessions to the UK from Malaga in Spain when the group of men are thought to have got inside during a stop in Rouen. Video filmed by passing motorists on the A414 in Maldon showed them emerging from the roof when the lorry was in a layby just yards away from its final destination. Officers arrived and arrested the driver, a Portuguese man in his 60s, as well as impounding the vehicle following the extraordinary incident at 3pm yesterday. The lorry was operated by a Portuguese firm for Algarve Removals, a Maldon-based family business that helps people relocate between the UK, Spain and Portugal. It comes amid a developing situation in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta, where 60,000 migrants breached the border from Morocco to enter Spanish territory. John Scott, director of Algarve Removals, told the Daily Mail: 'This is a developing situation. My driver unfortunately has been arrested and is in police custody.' Mr Scott explained that the lorry's tachograph confirmed the driver had travelled the roughly 1,150 miles from the Malaga area to Rouen, where he stopped for a break. The migrants are seen jumping out of the top of the lorry next to the A414 in Maldon yesterday Video filmed by passing motorists yesterday at 3pm showed the men emerging from the roof He said: 'These guys have climbed up onto the roof, not sure how, maybe used a ladder. They've gone through the roof. They've sat on other people's goods, there's stuff missing, there's urine everywhere in the truck, it's just a disgusting situation.' Mr Scott added that driver then made the 130-mile trip to Calais for the Channel Tunnel, where the lorry underwent a security check by French police. They put a sniffer dog around the truck as well as checking the seal and the rear doors, but allegedly failed to spot that the roof had been opened. Mr Scott said: 'We do everything we can. I can understand the frustration from local people. It's awful, it's absolutely awful. This is something we have to deal with. But why did Calais wave that truck through? 'If entering the roof of a truck is more common because it's the only safe way, why don't Calais have CCTV on a gantry so as your truck pulls in, they check the CCTV?' The lorry was waved through and allowed to board a Eurotunnel train to Folkestone, before the driver travelled the final 90 miles to the firm's base in Maldon. Because the base was busy at the time, the driver waited in a local layby on the A414, which is when the migrants decided to jump out before walking away. Mr Scott said: 'All our trucks are fitted with security devices. Our problem is we have to stop at some point along the routes and what we're finding is the attempts to get in our trucks are getting worse and worse.' He continued: 'We've never really had a problem with our trucks. We've never been stopped for having people in our truck. They try all different tactics. The group of men are thought to have got inside in Rouen before jumping out in Maldon (above) The lorry was operated by a Portuguese firm for Algarve Removals, a Maldon-based business 'Years ago they used to hang onto the underneath of the truck, but most curtain-side trucks have a soft roof, so it's only made of a PVC that slides back and forth. They've got on the roof. 'The driver can't look 15ft up in the air. Every one of my drivers after their stop, whether for diesel or an overnight break, they check the seal cord, the locking device, the belly lockers, they check all the obvious places. 'So now what do we do? Buy them ladders so they can check? Us Brits, we just lock the drivers up. Are they guilty?' Mr Scott said his family business had been trading for 30 years, and moves about 6,000 people to Spain and Portugal each year. But he added that illegal migration was becoming an increasing issue for his industry. He said: 'The problem is epidemic - look at how many people are hitting our shores on boats. The trucks situation - you can go to any truck stop or service station on any motorway in this country and pull in and you will see immigrants that have been dropped off. 'Some of them have come here by means of breaking into trucks and I'm sure there are a few who arrive by people being paid off to be dropped here. But you can see them with their rucksacks. The problem is huge.' Mr Scott said the company's margins were already tight, and the repairs to the truck will now cost about £3,000, adding: 'Then we have the problem of the damaged or missing goods.' He also confirmed police impounded the truck in the layby, adding: 'Generally what happens is any truck that's entering the UK, if it's got immigrants in it, the driver's arrested. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. 'What have they done wrong? And this guy, he's about 60 years of age, he's a really lovely man.' He confirmed the business operating the truck was a third party company on contract to Algarve Removals, but his firm took full responsibility despite it being 'damaging for my company'. Essex Police have been contacted for comment. It comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged on Sunday to be 'relentless' in tackling small boat crossings. Speaking during a visit to Dover, he highlighted that crossings are down significantly compared with the numbers for this time last year, but said he is not 'complacent' on the issue. Last Wednesday marked the busiest day for small boat crossings across the English Channel so far this year, with 752 migrants arriving in the UK. But despite the recent flurry, the number of overall arrivals for 2026 so far is more than 40 per cent lower than at this point in 2025. But yesterday, Nigel Farage said his party planned to intercept and return migrant boats crossing the Channel.  Reform UK is proposing using the Royal Navy to transport migrants to France or Belgium under a plan called 'operation fortress'.