An investigation has been launched after a group of people were seen jumping off a truck at the side of the motorway in Kent.

Police were called following reports of several men leaping from the HGV pulled up on the hard shoulder near Dartford.

Video of the incident captured the moment at least three people were seen clambering on the lorry and jumping off into the grass verge on the junction between the A2 and M25 at Bean.

A police spokesman confirmed officers were called at 4.34pm on Friday to reports "a group of people, believed to be migrants, had been seen exiting a lorry on the A2 near Bean".

Officers attended the scene and spoke with the driver of the lorry before informing the Home Office to investigate further.

A search of the area was also carried out but no individuals were located.

The Home Office has been asked for further details.

It was another busy weekend for authorities as scores of boats arrived on Kent shores and were intercepted by Border Force patrols in the English Channel.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 17,000 people have made the dangerous journey to the UK in small boats – double the figure for the whole of last year.

In a statement released on Saturday by the Home Office, a spokesman said: "The government is determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in dangerous Channel crossings using every tool at our disposal, at every stage in the journey.

“Working with police and international partners, there have been nearly 300 arrests and 65 convictions related to small boat criminality.

"Our targeted efforts have prevented more than 15,000 migrant attempts so far this year."

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