Haulage companies across the West Midlands are being advised to step up the security of their vehicles because of increasing numbers of illegal immigrants trying to get into the UK.
There have been a number of cases where suspected stowaways have been found in the region and company bosses working in the area say they have heard stories of gangs made up of dozens of people mobbing vehicles at the port of Calais.
On Wednesday three suspected illegal immigrants from Africa were arrested after being seen to fall from the underside of a lorry on the M6 near West Bromwich.
The three, two aged 33 and a 27-year-old, are now being held on suspicion of immigration offences after apparently boarding the lorry in Calais and are being dealt with by the UK Border Force.
Another African man was found hiding behind the air spoiler of a lorry on the same motorway near Great Barr on August 27 and on June 11 another suspected illegal immigrant was found hiding under a bus at junction 10.
The Road Haulage Association has advised hauliers to make sure freight trailers are padlocked at Calais as a security measure and to carry out checks before accepting them.
There have been reports of groups of up to 1,500 migrants living in makeshift camps near Calais desperate to get into the UK.
James Williams, a director of Eurofreight, Coombs Wood, Halesowen, said some hauliers were avoiding using Calais and using the Channel Tunnel or other ports instead.
Mr Williams said that the UK Border Force should be carrying out proper checks on all lorries coming from Calais.
He said it was unfair that hauliers could be fined for unknowingly bringing in illegal immigrants who in some cases were tying themselves on underneath vehicles.
The Government is considering sending steel security fences supplied by Wolverhampton firm Zaun fencing for the NATO conference in South Wales to Calais to help protect lorry drivers and tourists from the desperate migrants
