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Fifteen people have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences after being discovered in the back of a lorry in Chippenham.

In addition, a man in his 50s from Ireland has been arrested on suspicion of assisting with illegal entry in the country.

Officers were called to the A350 at the Kington Langley crossroads in Chippenham at 20:30 on Wednesday after being alerted by a member of the public.

15 people, all said to be 16-30 years old, were found in the rear of the vehicle.

All members of the group have been taken to custody after being checked over by a medical team first.

Ambulance service staff carried out initial medical checks on the group and all but one were deemed fit and well and were taken into custody.

One person was taken to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon as a precaution but was later released into custody.

Wiltshire Police Superintendent Steve Cox is apologising to the public for the disruption. But he said investigations are continuing.

“We are working closely with partner agencies as we conduct further enquiries. I fully understand that recent tragic events in Essex will mean there is an increased heightened concern regarding this incident.”

“I would also like to extend my thanks to vigilant members of the public who initially reported the incident. Thanks to them we are resolving this issue without  casualties.”

This incident comes after eight people were arrested by Vietnamese police earlier this week in connection with the thirty nine migrant deaths in Essex.

The 31 men and eight women who were discovered in the back of the refrigerated truck in Grays in October are thought to have been Vietnamese.

So far two people have been charged.

The driver of the lorry, Mo Robinson, 25, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering.