Beware of stowaways on your cycle rack.

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Dean14

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Couple return from France unknowingly carrying a stowaway hiding on their cycle rack cover and get fined! Seems a bit unfair to say the least. I'd imagine most folks reading this will now save themselves £1,500 and not report the matter. The law is an arse.

www.bbc.co.uk

Essex couple fined £1,500 after migrant hid on motorhome

The pair are given a £1,500 penalty after finding the young man once they arrived home in Essex.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
Whilst I’m sure the laws say this is correct it feels very harsh in the circumstances.

Our friends had the same happen but the migrant climbed under the cover in Dieppe as the rested in the Aire near the port before heading south. They found him 100 miles down the road. He just climbed off and headed back whilst phoning someone they said
 
They later received a fine from the Home Office for failing to "check that no clandestine entrant was concealed" in the motorhome.

they should submit a small claims court for the same amount against the Border force for failing to check there vehicle on either side as they are paid to do.
 
royandsharont said:
Whilst I’m sure the laws say this is correct it feels very harsh in the circumstances.

Our friends had the same happen but the migrant climbed under the cover in Dieppe as the rested in the Aire near the port before heading south. They found him 100 miles down the road. He just climbed off and headed back whilst phoning someone they said
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Jim said:
Its in the belly locker as it was turning into a regular migrant thread
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Thanks. Makes sense.

Also explains why I wouldn't have seen it - I can only imagine what vitriol might be getting spouted! ;)

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Dean14 said:
I'd imagine most folks reading this will now save themselves £1,500 and not report the matter. The law is an arse.
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Seems this couple took this person all the way home on their bike rack. Who knows what might have happened when he was inside the property. The fine does seem harsh, but it is a useful deterrent, if they weren't fined we wouldn't know about it and wouldnt be discussing it today.

The fines are a deterrent, and I'm sure that after reading this, more people will be having a look before they board. The fine is less important than your personal security. Check your van before you get on board, and if you hear or feel anything suspicious and suspect someone might be on board then report it right away.
 
When we had a rear bike rack, always took the cover off on the morning we were catching the ferry home. This was after seeing a bloke caught under a cover in Caen. Gendarme turned up and had a go at the port security and suddenly all motorhomes had a full inspection inside, outside, lockers and underneath!
 
RetiredPope said:
This was after seeing a bloke caught under a cover in Caen. Gendarme turned up and had a go at the port security and suddenly all motorhomes had a full inspection inside, outside, lockers and underneath!
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So , Port Security only doing a very poor job again, with no level of consistency.
Sounds about right!
 
Captain Yoghurtpot said:
So , Port Security only doing a very poor job again, with no level of consistency.
Sounds about right!
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I suppose they can’t hope to check every hiding spot on every vehicle.

Interestingly, just about every time I’ve come back to Britain by ferry, border staff have come on board the motorhome and carefully checked under the seats, in the loo, on the drop-down bed, in the garage, etc.

I tow a 60-year-old 3-wheeler on a trailer. It has a huge hidden space in the footwell, and a large boot (I’m 6ft 2 and could get two of me in there). They’ve never once even cast a glance at the car.



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I cant understand how this still happens its been going on for years , We had to turf one out in Calais from under the scooter cover on rear of our RV back in 2018 and there was a long thread on here about it then listing several occurrences IIRC.
 
I stay overnight about 70 miles from port for my last night
Make sure all the deadlocks are on even on the cab then i can drive straight to the port. Being solo traveller I don't want to risk getting out of the van
 
Usual easy picking UK approach, officials fail to do the job they're paid for. Member of public does their job for them. Member of public suffers for it.

But it does show those cycle carriers can hold a lot more than 40kg 😁🤣 quite impressive rear wall strength for a roller team.

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Jim said:
Seems this couple took this person all the way home on their bike rack. Who knows what might have happened when he was inside the property. The fine does seem harsh, but it is a useful deterrent, if they weren't fined we wouldn't know about it and wouldnt be discussing it today.

The fines are a deterrent, and I'm sure that after reading this, more people will be having a look before they board. The fine is less important than your personal security. Check your van before you get on board, and if you hear or feel anything suspicious and suspect someone might be on board then report it right away.
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Wow, good point Jim (y)
 
I'm guessing all the boarder control people were busy knitting or doing crosswords instead of DOING THEIR JOB - but there again no prob - just slap a fine on the van owners

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David M said:
I suppose they can’t hope to check every hiding spot on every vehicle.

Interestingly, just about every time I’ve come back to Britain by ferry, border staff have come on board the motorhome and carefully checked under the seats, in the loo, on the drop-down bed, in the garage, etc.

I tow a 60-year-old 3-wheeler on a trailer. It has a huge hidden space in the footwell, and a large boot (I’m 6ft 2 and could get two of me in there). They’ve never once even cast a glance at the car.



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Bond minicar by any chance?
 
Ok im.not sticking up for borderforce but I wonder how long the wait would be at the port if every vehicle was fully checked
 
Grummyb said:
Ok im.not sticking up for borderforce but I wonder how long the wait would be at the port if every vehicle was fully checked
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The responsibility for checking is with the individual thinking otherwise is wrong.

As an aside we went through Calais yesterday and the French Customs computers were playing up. They processed the 4 cars in front of us in 50 mins. I often wondered what would happen obviously you just sit there!
 
Dean14 said:
Couple return from France unknowingly carrying a stowaway hiding on their cycle rack cover and get fined! Seems a bit unfair to say the least. I'd imagine most folks reading this will now save themselves £1,500 and not report the matter. The law is an arse.

www.bbc.co.uk

Essex couple fined £1,500 after migrant hid on motorhome

The pair are given a £1,500 penalty after finding the young man once they arrived home in Essex.
www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...
There again, they could simply check their vehicle before crossing . . . .
 
We picked up one, unknowingly, between Calais and Dieppe, also hidden on the bike rack! His problem was that we were heading for Croatia and he started banging on the van to get attention when he realised we were doing 60mph down the highway in the direction of Germany ! 70 miles further inland than when he started, he climbed out, shrugged and checked hi phone for the way back to the coast.

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