• An Irish artic was impounded in Dover on Good
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Friday until its owners faxed a guarantee that they would pay a £12,000 fine after six illegal immigrants were found in its trailer. Prime Line Transport Services have lodged an appeal against the automatic fine.
The driver had stopped overnight between Antwerp and Ghent, but his trailer was padlocked, sealed, and had its security rope in place. In the morning he climbed onto the roof to check for openings in the canvas top, and checked the seal and the rope.
When the stowaways were discovered at Dover it was found that the side of the curtainsider had been slit and resealed, and the security cord had been cut and rejoined.
"Our driver took all the precautions he could," says Prime Line's director James Finnegan. "Ibis situation is ridiculous and impossible. No matter how diligent you are, a driver has to sleep."
• Another driver has phoned CMto warn drivers that would-he stowaways are using ratchets to pull roofs to one side, allowing easier access to curtainsiders. But this can't be detected, as the curtain falls back into place when the ratchet is released.