Dealing with migrants 'part of the day job' for hauliers

Dealing with migrants has become "part of the day job" for truck drivers, a haulage firm has told ITV News.

Drivers often do not report run-ins with migrants because they are so commonplace, Peter Denby of Denby Transport said.

Mr Denby called on the Government to suspend fines handed out to hauliers found carrying illegal immigrants into the UK while the current Calais crisis is ongoing.

Figures published today show the number of fines has more than tripled in the past three years.

Mr Denby, whose company makes thousands of cross-Channel journeys a year, said they have stopped using the Dover straits because "the risks are too great".

He told ITV News: "There are times when drivers challenge immigrants and they walk out of the back of the trailer. We have so many of those we don't even record them.

"Sometimes the drivers don't report them to the office because it's such a regular occurrence. It has become part of the day job."

Mr Denby, whose company transports a range of cargo, said it is "almost impossible" to stop migrants boarding lorries in the current crisis.

"When you're doing several thousand journeys per year, to have a 100% record with no immigrants on your trailers is almost impossible," he said.

"The period we are looking at now is the most acute that I can remember in the last 10 years.

"I think there is a strong case for saying these penalties should be suspended for this period until the authorities get a grip on this situation. Why blame the hauliers?"

The company's freight is currently being transported to and from the continent via Belgium, which is more expensive and takes longer, but Mr Denby said the Dover-Calais route is not worth the risk.

"The safety of our drivers is our number one priority," he said.