A group of suspected illegal immigrants from the former Yugoslavia have been detained at Leeds Bradford Airport after stowing away in a container lorry.

The group - four men, ten youths and a woman - were today being questioned by police.

Fourteen claim to be Kosovar Albanians and one man said he was from Montenegro. None has so far claimed asylum.

The five adults are being held in Lindholme detention centre at Doncaster and the ten minors are in the care of Leeds Social Services.

They were discovered in a Dutch-registered tractor and trailer at Leeds Bradford Airport, pictured, last night.

It is understood the group attempted to run off when the back of the container lorry was opened up at the airport's freight terminal. Security staff were immediately alerted and went out in their minibus to track down the group. All members of the group were accounted for.

Police and immigration officials were today treating the group as suspected illegal immigrants and questioning them.

The driver of the vehicle, a 58-year-old German, was also detained for questioning.

Immigration officials today launched an investigation into the case.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Illegal entry papers have been served on them by the immigration service. Up to this stage, none of them are seeking asylum."

Stuart Owen, duty manager at Leeds Bradford Airport, said: "We understand they drove here, they didn't fly here. I assume the driver had freight or cargo for this airport. When the driver opened up the back of the lorry, they absconded.

"I have worked here for 26 years and I have never, ever come across anything like this before. I was gobsmacked.

"When they were discovered two or three of them ran, although some of the others didn't seem too bothered about being found. The airport police took out a minibus and picked them all up."

Last month, Home Secretary Jack Straw launched a campaign against the "multi-billion pound, criminal activity" of gangs involved in people trafficking.

In the UK, an inter-agency group has been set up specifically to deal with organised people trafficking, with a budget of £2 million.