CCTV footage has captured the moment two individuals, believed to be undocumented migrants, exited a heavy goods vehicle at a business park in Northampton. The truck had traveled from Calais, France, to Dover, England, and then to Northampton on August 7. The footage shows the two men climbing over barriers and leaving the yard, with a company director and another staff member appearing to observe the events without intervening or alerting authorities.
Ed Rogers, the boss of the haulage firm E. M. Rogers, is seen in the footage watching the individuals. According to the report, neither Rogers nor the staff member are understood to have informed the Home Office or police about the incident. The individuals were seen posing for a photograph outside the company's offices before departing. It is speculated that some migrants document their entry methods to share with others seeking to enter the UK.
Rogers stated that the migrants had "snuck into the back" of the truck in an attempt to enter the UK and described them as "victims of organised gangs." He previously criticized the Home Office's fines for such incidents, arguing that haulage companies and drivers should not be held responsible for not acting as border agents or security personnel.
Under the Official Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme, the UK government can fine vehicle owners or drivers up to £10,000 per undocumented individual found in their vehicle, even if the driver or owner was unaware of their presence. E. M. Rogers Ltd has reportedly been targeted by migrants previously. In 2024, the company was fined £66,000 after six migrants were found to have entered the country via one of their vehicles. In 2021, a lorry driver for the company reported his truck being attacked by a group in Calais who used iron bars and breeze blocks, smashing the windscreen and windows of the cab.
In a separate incident, a dinghy carrying a record 230 people reportedly crossed the English Channel into the UK on the Monday prior to this report.