Lorry driver hit with £12,000 fine for migrants hiding in his lorry - despite him alerting Border Force

A lorry driver, who claims helium informed authorities astir stowaways portion returning from France, is warring to person a £12,000 good dropped. Michael Fletcher, 63, hailing from the Forest of Dean successful Gloucestershire, says he's being pursued by indebtedness collectors and feels punished by Border Force "for doing the close thing".

Mr Fletcher, who has been successful the transport manufacture since passing his driving trial successful the precocious 1970s, was preparing to committee the ferry astatine Calais connected September 16 past twelvemonth erstwhile helium noticed question successful his vehicle. He alerted borderline guards to his suspicions, who, aft an inspection, discovered 2 stowaways successful the backmost of his lorry.

According to Mr Fletcher, officers reassured him that helium had conducted each indispensable checks. However, helium was taken aback erstwhile helium received a missive from the Border Force successful February demanding a outgo of £12,000.

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The missive alleged that Mr Fletcher failed to contiguous a checklist astatine the time. After contesting this assertion and providing a photograph of his checklist, the Border Force is present demanding a reduced good of £3,000.

However, Mr Fletcher insists helium is being unfairly targeted for acting responsibly and doesn't recognize wherefore helium should beryllium penalised for not committing immoderate wrongdoing. He suspects the good was issued due to the fact that borderline guards didn't execute their duties properly, reports Gloucestershire Live.

The concern has caused him stress, forcing him to power jobs successful the meantime and restrict his proscription enactment wrong the UK. "I garbage to wage for a good erstwhile I've done thing wrong," helium stated.

Mr Fletcher recounted his unexpected brushwood aft clearing UK Immigration Control successful Calais, "The 2 vehicles successful beforehand of maine started their engines and I past felt my lorry determination which was unusual arsenic it was a sunny time and determination was nary wind."

He elaborate the incidental stating, "I did each the checks. I walked astir to the beforehand and I thought the lone spot present is up connected the roof, and that's 4 metres high."

Recalling his determined search, helium continued, "So I climbed up betwixt the lorry cab and I managed to get my hands connected apical and propulsion myself up, and I looked implicit and I could spot portion wherever they chopped the extortion and idiosyncratic had sealed it backmost with tape."

Not taking immoderate chances, Mr Fletcher alerted the authorities: "So I got down and I shouted to the French borderline guards and they came backmost with the dog. I told them I thought I had idiosyncratic connected board. Then astir 30 minutes aboriginal the English Border Force came."

He watched the borderline process unfold arsenic "They had the paperwork disconnected the French and the English serviceman started to instrumentality notes and helium took photos of my cheque list. I had a publication and I took that photograph due to the fact that I thought helium was going to instrumentality the publication disconnected me."

"He held connected to the publication aft taking photos. He looked astatine my security and each my different documents, my licences and each that. That was each successful bid and past they opened up and they had 2 radical connected board."

He concluded, detailing the thorough inspection which led to the find aboard his vehicle.

In a bewildering borderline blunder, lorry operator Mr. Fletcher recounted his frustrating experience: "The English serviceman was looking astatine my paperwork checking my insurance, each that. And past helium said it's astir clip for maine to finish. I've got immoderate officers coming down and I volition manus it each implicit to them."

He continued: "So they came down. He ended the paperwork. But helium didn't manus the camera implicit with the photos on."

Fletcher painted a representation of disorder and delay: "So that is wherever the photos indispensable person been mislaid due to the fact that helium finished his displacement and we had to hold different hr and a fractional for the Calais constabulary to travel successful to person those immigrants taken retired and fto spell again earlier they'd merchandise me."

The occurrence reached its decision when: "The constabulary came, they took the immigrants. The UK Border Force said, oh, present you are. Here's your paperwork. You tin spell now."

Relaying the questioning, Fletcher explained however the officers probed astir his erstwhile parking spot. He said helium was asked by the officers wherever helium had parked the nighttime before.

To which helium replied, highlighting the supposedly unafraid determination it was successful the Calais registered motortruck halt that the authorities recommends drivers should parkland at.

He shared his bewilderment regarding the lapse successful security, saying  that the serviceman told him they had recovered respective stowaways successful vehicles that had travel from that tract recently. Despite strict controls, Mr Fletcher, delivering goods from Germany backmost to the UK via France, insisted that thing was amiss arsenic the stowaways were not detected.

This wasn't the archetypal clip Fletcher raised his concerns arsenic earlier this year, helium spoke to County Councillor Philip Robinson (C, Mitcheldean) who advised a speech with past MP Mark Harper. Mr. Harper took the substance up with past Home Secretary James Cleverly, who was reportedly investigating the contented astatine the time.

However, the process deed a partition erstwhile Parliament was dissolved and his MP mislaid his seat, leaving him without representation. He expressed his frustration, saying, "I conscionable privation my contented resolved. I'm present waiting for bailiffs to travel instrumentality the worth of the fine. I don't recognize however they tin good maine erstwhile they haven't taken maine to court."

He besides felt ignored by the authorities: "The archetypal missive they sent to maine was however to wage the good and cipher wants to speech to maine due to the fact that I'm not that important."

Cllr Robinson remained optimistic astir the case's outcome, stating confidently, "There's nary mode Mark would not person got a effect successful that, arsenic acold arsenic I'm concerned, I cognize it was a slam dunk."

Expressing disappointment with the existent situation, helium said, "I've been lone excessively pleased to play my portion successful helping Fletch but wherever we are present is highly frustrating owed to the implicit lack of assistance from the caller MP for the Forest of Dean, Matt Bishop."

Reflecting connected the efforts of the erstwhile MP, helium added, "Our erstwhile MP, Mark Harper, was precise adjacent so to resolving this unfortunate matter. A solution to this Border Force mistake was astir successful the bag. Mark had acted rapidly to impact the past Home Secretary, James Cleverly, and a blessed ending was imminent."

He lamented the timing of governmental events, adding: "But then, Rishi called the General Election, Parliament was dissolved, and Mark was nary longer allowed to beryllium involved. Had Mark been re-elected successful July, each would person been good and Fletch would person been freed of his stressful and unnecessary burden."

Mr Bishop's squad has acknowledged interaction from Mr Fletcher, but insists connected needing a postal code to grip constituent casework decently a item they accidental is yet to beryllium provided by Mr Harper oregon Cllr Robinson.

"I would beryllium precise blessed to person a gathering with the constituent and Cllr Robinson to look into this lawsuit and promote them some to interaction my squad truthful that this tin beryllium acceptable up," Mr Bishop commented. In 2023, during the past Tory Government, changes were ushered successful tightening regulations: escalated fines, accrued maximum penalties, and a caller punishment for failing to securely load a goods conveyance were introduced to clamp down connected unsafe and amerciable attempts to participate the UK.

The Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme was launched to zero successful connected negligence alternatively than outright transgression acts, outlining an anticipation that those straight engaged successful quality trafficking would look the afloat mightiness of judicial scrutiny.

Furthermore, compliance with the caller Carriers Liability Amendment Regulation 2023 could spot liable parties enjoying reduced penalties.

A typical from the Home Office made their presumption clear: "We are afloat committed to securing the borderline and cracking down connected radical smugglers."

They further elaborated connected the purpose of the caller scheme: "The Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme aims to guarantee drivers are taking each tenable measurement to deter irregular migration and disrupt radical smugglers."