ILLEGAL immigrants on their way to Leyton have been stopped by the UK Border Agency.

Officers in Calais stopped a Turkish-registered lorry bound for a company in Leyton and found 14 illegal immigrants inside.

The immigrants, including 11 men, one woman and two children, were from India and Iraq and were caught attempting to smuggle themselves into the UK hidden in a lorry of clothes.

If prosecuted, the lorry driver, who is a Turkish national, could face a fine.

The UK Border agency refused to reveal where in Leyton the lorry was due to travel to.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: “There are hundreds of UK Border Agency officers based at ports in France and Belgium, working to stop illegal immigrants before they get to the UK.

“In addition to the use of heartbeat detectors, we also use visual searches, carbon dioxide detectors and sniffer dogs to find well-hidden stowaways.“ It is not known where or when exactly the would-be immigrants found their way into the lorry but the UK Border Agency have stated that criminal gangs are often involved and help to target specific lorries.

They added that they sometimes find people in the back of refrigerated lorries, which could have serious consequences for their health.

The 14 illegal immigrants are believed to be healthy and have since been handed over to the French authorities.

A team of UK Border Agency officers are also set to be drafted into Waltham Forest and Newham in a crackdown on illegal immigrants and failed asylum seekers.