Immigrants found could face removal from UK the Home Office says after recent incidents involving them travelling in the back of lorries.

Thirteen immigrants were found hiding in a lorry travelling towards St Albans last week.

Herts Constabulary were called at 9.30pm on Thursday, August 27 following reports of suspicious activity on a lorry in St Albans Road West, Hatfield.

Sandridge Parish councillor, G Claudio Duran witnessed police surrounding the lorry as he was driving by to pick up his teenage sons.

He said: "I saw six police vehicles intercept a lorry opposite the University of Hertfordshire sports facilities.

"The police were armed with ladders and climbed the in the lorry where they found illegal immigrants hiding behind pallets of water.

"They looked confused and were smiling when being led away by officers to a waiting police van."

A spokesperson from the Home Office said: "13 people, two women and 11 men, were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.

"Two people, a Syrian man and an Iraqi man, remain detained. The others have been released and must report regularly to the Home Office while their cases are considered."

The incident is the second in recent weeks where immigrants have been found in the back of a lorry.

Last month, 17 suspected illegal immigrants from Vietnam were found travelling in a lorry on the M1 near St Albans.

The group again were taken into custody by police and the driver, a Polish man, was arrested on suspicion of assisting illegal entry into the UK.