Illegal immigrants smuggling themselves onto delivery lorries have cost a Canterbury-based fruit packing firm £500,000 in the last year.

Gomez, who are based off the A2 near Bridge, says the escalating problem has reached "worrying levels" for the business which suffered its latest incident on Friday.

It follows the discovery of eight stowaways in a truck which arrived at the depot in Coldharbour Lane from the Continent at around midday.

Police were called and the group detained before being handed over to border officials and taken to the Dover immigration centre.

Jim Parmenter, who runs Gomez, says that every time immigrants are found in the back of a fruit- carrying HGV, the whole load is deemed contaminated and has to be discarded.

"This has been a problem for several years and we have introduced many new security protocols to try and prevent the financial burden this causes when we have to condemn a full load of produce," he said.

"There was a big reduction in incidents after the Calais jungle was dismantled, but in recent months they are on the rise again towards worrying levels.

"More than 20 lorries have been affected in the last year and at £25,000 per lorry, it's substantial.

"But it is also important to note, that although we work with our suppliers to help with security protocols, we do not own or operate the lorries coming into the UK - they are simply delivering to our site."

In August 2014, a 29-year-old Iraqi Kurd was crushed beneath the wheels of an HGV he had clung to the underside of as it arrived at the depot.

The biggest single discovery of stowaways at Gomez was in March, 2016 when 26 illegal immigrants were found in the back of a lorry delivering peppers from Spain.

Speaking about the latest incident Home Office spokesman Bev Morgan said: Eight men, who presented themselves as Vietnamese nationals, were arrested by police officers on suspicion of entering the UK illegally.

"They were passed to officials and their cases will now be progressed in line with immigration rules."

She added: "Where someone is found to have no right to remain in the UK, we will take action to remove them."

Razia Shariff, chief executive of Kent Refugee Action Network, said: "We are unable to comment on individual cases. However there are a variety of push and pull factors that force people to make these kind of extremely hazardous journeys.

"Those factors can range from extreme poverty and lack of opportunity to those fleeing from persecution or warfare.

"Generally people don't leave their homes, families and communities unless they face extreme situations that make them feel they have no choice.

"Kent Refugee Action Network aims to support people that have made these journeys to lead independent, fulfilled and successful lives here in the UK."