Four children suffered hypothermia after being locked in a refrigerated lorry in a failed bid to get into the UK, the UK Border Force has said.
Officers from UKBF working in Dunkirk, France, found the youngsters, aged from nine to 16, trapped in temperatures of -2C (28F) in the trailer.
They were among a group of four Afghans and three Iranians who were found at around 10am last Friday in a Slovakian-registered lorry used to transport soft cheese.
It was due to board a midday ferry for Dover and was bound for Milton Keynes – which would have left the stowaways in the trailer for another seven hours if they had not been found.
Paul Morgan from UKBF said: "This incident shows the desperate lengths that people will go to in their attempts to reach the UK.
"It also shows the complete disregard for safety and wellbeing shown by the people-smugglers who no doubt helped get them into this lorry.
"The group had already spent several hours in sub-zero conditions when Border Force officers discovered them. They had no way of getting out.
"If the lorry had carried on unchecked then this could have had fatal consequences, especially for the children."
The four children and one adult were taken to hospital and later given the all-clear. The group is being dealt with by French authorities. The Bulgarian driver of the lorry was questioned by police and released without charge.
