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• Chloro-acetyl-chlorlde is nasty stuff. That's what the man at
Page 10
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GlaxoSmithillIne told Barry Laverick anyway. it reacts wtth water forming hydrochloric acid. If It conies into contact with skin, it burns and can be absorbed through it causing 'systemic poisoning'. It is so unpleasant, in fact, that both Sea France and P&O refuse to ship it on their regular Dover— Calais routes. It was a load of chlore-acetyl-chloride that Laverick was taking from Switzerland to the UK In April 2000, for delivery to 55K in Cumbria. A full 40ft trailer of the stuff in dark blue drums that covered the trailer floor. The drums were dusty, Laverick is sure of that. You could sae his footprints on top of the drums where he'd walked, checking the trailer to make sure he had no unwanted cargo—the sort of cargo that costs you £8,000 in fines. The sort of cargo that would probe* have been a little more wary if it knew the sort of load It was breaking into.
Laverick only found about the ferry firms' policy regarding chloro-acetyl-chloride when he arrived at Calais on the morning of 30 April. He was refused a passage then, but was offered a glimmer of hope P&O could arrange for a crossing on a freighter at Zeebrugge. So off he went, arriving at the Belgian port In the early afternoon. Again the load intervened—it Is only on its quietest crossings that MO will allow passage of the chemical—so it looked like he was going to have to wait until 4am.
Laverick sat down to wait, checking the trailer for the final time at 6.30pm when he took a couple of bottles of beer from the trailer to drink In the cab before locking up for the final time. But half an hour later, Laverick was directed on board. He parked his truck outside next to the water cannon and the crane—Just in case, you understand. Then he left his vehicle and went and killed time in the drivers' lounge.
The drums were dusty—you could see Laverick's footprints an top of them. No-one else's footprints, Just his. Nonetheless, the Immigration Service told him that they'd found four stowaways In the back. They handed him a photocopied picture to prove it, showing the four immigrants dangling their legs out the back of the trailer.
They were taken away and Laverick was handed a slip of paper telling him that he now owed the government £8,000.
Laverick then contacted a solicitor for advice. However, the only advice he got was to pay. Otherwise, it would go through the courts and that hurts the business—poor credit rating, no fuel cards, CCJs. And then there's the costs—barristers, court time, legal fees—it all adds up.
So the company paid. They got an £8,000 loan from the bank that is still being paid off. Every month, £258 comes out of the bank to the loan company.
It was under duress, however, and it was never a question of admitting guilt—the company Just knew they were too small to fight the government on their own. But they made it clear to the Immigration Service's solicitors that they were only paying because they could not afford to fight it.
They didn't ever reply," says Laverick's partner Elaine Machin. "They just took the money, and that was it."
And of course, there was another letter encouraging them to pay or their house would be seized: "...goods and chattels to the value of..." it said.
"They threatened that we would lose the house if we didn't pay," said Machin. So they did—they paid the whole amount, £8,000, straight off.
It's the immigration Service's attitude that has led their M5 David Hinchltffe, to describe the situation as them "getting a raw deal". He has every sympathy with them, he adds. But, in the meantime, almost three years after the immigrants were found, £258 is still leaving their account every month.