Stowaways driven into army base

The base in Suffolk is used by US Air Force planes

Two Afghans who attempted to enter the country by stowing away in a lorry were caught when it drove into a US airbase in Suffolk.

The two 17-year-olds had boarded the vehicle in Calais, France, not knowing that it was bound for RAF Lakenheath.

Ministry of Defence police arrested the pair as they emerged from the lorry.

A spokeswoman for the base said the discovery prompted an immediate search of all buildings and tighter checks for vehicles entering the base.

Soft-sided vehicles are already banned from entering the base following a previous incident in which stowaways evaded security.

The pair have now been handed over to Social Services and the UK Border Agency.

A spokesman for MoD police said that the truck driver had been spoken to but officers were satisfied he was unaware of the stowaways.