A RAID on a lorry led to the arrests of suspected illegal immigrants yesterday.

The lorry, parked on Bagshot Road, Bracknell, was stopped in the exact place where nine men were arrested and detained in October on the same charge. 

Traffic came to a standstill as a heavy police presence took action outside the Shell garage and Little Waitrose, just next to the KFC. 

Police were on the scene for much of the early afternoon.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "We were called yesterday afternoon (14/12) to reports of noises coming from inside a lorry on Bagshot Road, Bracknell.

"Ten males aged 16 (x2) 17,18, 22, 25, 26, 29 and 30 (x2) were subsequently arrested on suspicion of entering the country illegally.

"They were remanded and are in the process of being transferred to the Home Office custody."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Immigration Enforcement was contacted by Thames Valley Police yesterday (Thursday 14 December) after police officers attended an incident on Bagshott Road, Bracknell. 

"Eleven people, all males who presented themselves as being from Iraq, were referred to the Home Office and their cases will now be progressed according to the immigration rules.

"Among the 11 were three claimed minors who have been referred to social services to be independently age assessed.

"Where someone has not right to remain in the UK, we will take action to remove them.

"Immigration Enforcement is an operational directorate within the Home Office responsible for enforcing immigration law."