Cork company confirm it owns lorry in which 15 migrants discovered in England

A Cork company has confirmed that it owns the lorry in which 15 people were discovered in Wiltshire, England.

Sean Delany and Sons, a Glanmire-based company, confirmed to the Irish Examiner that the lorry is theirs.

An Irish man in his 50s has been arrested on suspicion of assisting the 15 people, believed to be men aged 16 – 30, with illegal entry into the country.

The lorry was stopped by police near Chippenham after reports of “suspicious activity” from a member of the public shortly before 8.30pm on Wednesday.

The fifteen people who were found in the rear of the lorry, have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.

One man was taken to hospital as a precaution but was later released into custody.

The other 14 people were deemed medically fit and were taken straight into custody on suspicion of immigration offences.

Wiltshire Police said the force was "not clear" about the nationalities of the 15 at this stage.

Superintendent Steve Cox thanked the "vigilant member of the public who initially reported this incident" and said that it was "thanks to them that this incident was resolved swiftly and safely with no serious casualties."

It comes after eight people were arrested earlier this week by Vietnamese police in connection with the 39 migrants found dead in a lorry in Essex.

They were held on Sunday on suspicion of organising people smuggling overseas.

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.

Essex Police have started extradition proceedings to bring 22-year-old Eamonn Harrison from Ireland to the UK.

Harrison, of Newry in Co Down, Northern Ireland, appeared at Dublin High Court last Friday charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, along with human trafficking and immigration offences, and was remanded in custody.

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.

Detectives have also urged Ronan Hughes, 40, and his brother Christopher, 34, said to have links with the road haulage and shipping industries, to hand themselves in.

The pair, from Armagh in Northern Ireland, are wanted on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking.