Retired Ambulance Worker Fined £6,000 After Migrant Hid In Vehicle

A retired ambulance worker, Peter Hughes, has been fined £6,000 after a migrant was discovered hiding in his camping trailer while attempting to enter the UK from France. The incident has sparked an urgent investigation by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who expressed concern over the enforcement action taken against Hughes and his wife.

Key Takeaways

• Peter Hughes, 75, and his wife Anne, 78, were fined £6,000 after a Sudanese migrant was found in their trailer.
• The couple was unaware of the stowaway and had just returned from a camping holiday in France.
• Angela Rayner has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fine.

The couple, who were returning from a camping trip across France and Europe, had stopped at a supermarket near the Port of Calais for supplies. Upon reaching border control, French officials discovered the migrant concealed in their trailer. Hughes recounted the moment when a foot and leg emerged from under the trailer’s covering, leading to a police intervention.

"We got to border control. They said they wanted to check everything – it is a standard practice which we accept and fully understand. They asked to look in the trailer. I unhooked the straps from the cover – then there was a foot and a leg," Hughes explained.

The couple missed their ferry due to the incident and had to wait five hours for the next one. After returning home, they received a letter from the Home Office informing them of the £6,000 fine under the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme, which aims to secure the UK border and deter irregular migration.

The Home Office’s Position

• The Home Office stated that the fine was issued because Hughes failed to conduct standard checks on the trailer before reaching immigration control.
• A spokesperson emphasised that the scheme is designed to target negligence and ensure drivers take reasonable steps to prevent irregular migration.
• The couple has the option to appeal the fine, as outlined in the supporting documents provided by the Home Office.

Hughes, who retired from the North West Ambulance Service in 2000, has expressed his outrage at the fine, calling it "obscene". He stated that he had complied fully with the authorities and completed all necessary paperwork, asserting that he and his wife had no knowledge of the migrant’s presence.

"There is no way I am paying the £6,000 fine. I am appealing and have written to my MP, Angela Rayner, and the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper," Hughes said.

Public Reaction and Support

• Angela Rayner has described the situation as extremely stressful for the Hughes couple and is looking into the matter urgently.
• Citizens Advice has also been contacted for assistance regarding the fine.
• Hughes hopes that his experience will serve as a warning to others, highlighting the potential risks of being penalised for circumstances beyond their control.

Hughes concluded, "You try to be a good citizen and help others – which is what I have done – and now this happens. It’s just completely out of order and not on. We just do not know what to do."

The incident raises questions about the fairness of the penalties imposed on individuals who may unknowingly become involved in illegal immigration activities, and it remains to be seen how the investigation will unfold and whether the fine will be rescinded.

Sources

• Angela Rayner launches ‘urgent’ investigation after retired ambulance worker was fined £6,000 when migrant hid in his camping trailer in France in bid to get to UK | Daily Mail Online, Daily Mail.