Illegal aliens land at Kennedy Space Centre

16 illegal immigrants got more than they bargained for when their boat landed on a beach at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre.

The group came ashore about a mile from where the shuttle Discovery is being prepared for next month's launch.

The beach at Cape Canaveral in Florida is one of America's most heavily guarded.

They were caught when one, apparently unaware he was in a restricted area, asked to borrow a guard's mobile phone.

"I guess Murphy's Law applies to everyone - including criminals," Joe Mellia from the US Border Patrol's Miami office said.

Mr Mellia said there were 15 Chinese immigrants, all apparently from Fukien province, and one Jamaican.