A couple from West Sussex are being threatened with prosecution by the Border Force after they found an asylum seeker hidden inside their bike rack after travelling back to England from France. John and Debbie Marriott discovered the man under the tarpaulin covering their bikes after arriving home in their camper van on Monday the 10th of August.
The man they discovered was a Sudanese youth who claimed to be 15. He had spent six hours wedged inside the bike rack as the couple travelled home through Calais. Mr and Mrs Marriot alerted the police when they discovered what had happened and the police collected him from the property.
However, the couple are now deeply alarmed that they have now revealed that they received a letter from Border Force stating they may face a fine. Mrs Marriot has said : ‘To now get a letter from Border Force suggesting it’s our fault, it’s a bit of a joke. They say we have broken the law by bringing someone into the country and have demanded to know details of our journey back home and what precautions we took. It’s a slap in the face to say the least.’
UNN’s Oliver Down understands that the Home Office is currently investigating the details and context of this case. Mr and Mrs Marriott will have to prove that they did not know that the youth was under the tarpaulin in order to not be liable to pay any fine.
The former policeman Mr Marriott has said that they arrived at the port of Calais for their 3.45pm ferry and went to a supermarket to buy some lunch and they believe this is where the youth got into the bike rack.
This is a developing story and UNN’s Oliver Down will be sure to keep UNN’s readers up to date with developments.
Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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