Seven people have been arrested after suspected migrants ‘desperate for water’ were found in the back of two lorries.
At least nine people, including two children, were discovered in two HGVs at a motorway service station at Reading yesterday evening.
Thames Valley Police triggered an ’emergency incident’, forcing officers to shut down a portion of the M4.
Officers arrested seven adults on suspicion of immigration offences who have since been passed to immigration officials. They also safeguarded two children.
Two people required hospital treatment but have since been discharged.
Migrants ‘desperate for water’ were found in the back of two lorries (pictured), causing police to close a portion of the M4 at Reading at 5.30pm yesterday
As many as ten immigrants were found inside two HGVs (pictured) that are understood to have been travelling from Europe
Officers were called to the Moto Reading M4 Westbound services at 4.50pm yesterday after receiving a report of several people being found in a lorry.
Police, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and South Central Ambulance Service all attended the scene, which was declared a ‘major incident’.
An insider told The Reading Chronicle that the HGVs pulled into the service station after being followed by four marked police vehicles.
‘Around 20 minutes after they were pulled into the services, I would say a good ten people were taken out of the trailers,’ the source said.
Police, fire and ambulance crews provided aid to the migrants. The insider claims officers ran into Greggs and WH Smith and took ‘dozens of bottles of water’.
They allegedly told store staff it was ‘urgent’ and they were helping ‘critical patients who needed water’.
The source also alleges the two vehicles involved were from ‘the same company’ and appeared to be ‘loaded refrigerated trailers’. It is also believed that the HGVs had been travelling from Europe.
The lorry park at the service station was closed during the incident but has since reopened.
A police spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Our thanks go to all those involved for bringing the incident to a safe resolution, and to those affected by the closure for their co-operation.’
