Five Syrian and Yemani migrants are being questioned by the Immigration Service after being picked up by police in Skipton after being suspected of jumping from a lorry on the A59.

The men, aged 20 and 36, were taken into custody by North Yorkshire Police at about 11pm on Saturday, before being handed over to the Immigration Service on suspicion of committing immigration offences.

Skipton Inspector Geoff Crocker said he believed there could have been up to ten in the group who had spent eight months travelling through Turkey, Serbia, Germany and into France before boarding the lorry in Calais.

The men, who were walking East along the road out of Skipton, were spotted by a passing motorists who thought it suspicious they were using the road, which has no pavement, in the pitch dark.

"They were very happy to be picked up and very polite. They welcomed the food we gave them and the chance to wash," said Insp Crocker.

All five were educated and included a vet, a doctor, an electrical engineering student and an English graduate.

"The English graduate said they wanted to reach England because of our standard of human rights," he added.

A Home Office spokesman said:"We continue to strengthen the security of the border to stop illegal immigrants entering the UK.

"Using some of the best technology in the world, together Border Force and the French authorities prevented more than 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally in 2014/15 - more than double the number prevented the previous year.

“We are also addressing the wider problem of illegal migration by increasing joint intelligence work with the French to target the organised crime gangs behind people smuggling.

“The Immigration Act of 2014 made it harder for people to live in the UK illegally. The new Immigration Bill will build on this and we will take tougher action on those who shouldn’t be here, by rooting out illegal immigrants and boosting deportations.”