Public urged to 'do their bit' over stowaways

The former head of Border Force says the public need to "do their bit" to stop migrants hiding in vehicles - after a couple who found a person in their motorhome's bike rack were given a £1,500 fine.

Adrian and Joanne Fenton, from Heybridge, Essex, have lodged an objection with the Home Office about the "unfair" penalty, issued weeks after they called police upon finding the stowaway under the cover of their bike rack.

The pair said they had a "top of the range" alarm system that had not detected the migrant and the vehicle had been checked by officials in France.

Tony Smith, former head of UK Border Force, said a "collaborative effort" was needed to stop human smuggling.

"Be aware there's huge pressure in Calais to get in by fair means or foul, and we really all need to work together to try to stop that happening," Mr Smith told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"What you really want people to do when they're queued up waiting at the check-in desk or having their sandwich, you have a good look round.

"The migrants are very opportunistic. There's all kinds of efforts made by the human smugglers to get in and we just really want the public to do their bit."

Mrs Fenton, 55, said they had been vigilant and border officials who checked the vehicle in Calais had not found the stowaway.

The couple were issued with the penalty weeks after finding the migrant, who said he was from Sudan, and calling the police straightaway.

Mr and Mrs Fenton have lodged an objection and could appeal, depending on the outcome of the objection.

"If we've still got to pay that fine, then we have to pay it. We'll have to bite the bullet," she said.

"It's the principle of the matter, that's what's so frustrating here - you're just thinking you're doing the right thing. We have the top-of-the-range alarm systems to know if anyone's trying to get in - but he wasn't in the motorhome, he was on the back.

"It could cost us more to appeal than what the fine is," she added.

The Home Office said penalties were "designed to target negligence rather than criminality".

Mr Smith - who now works as a global border security consultant after retiring from the Home Office in 2013 - said it was likely a report into the incident would be fed back to border staff in France, who may be encouraged to do "more intensive checks" on bike racks.

He added the Fentons' objection to the fine might ultimately end up with a reduction or cancellation of the penalty.

"One would hope common sense would prevail," he said.

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