Dover MP Charlie Elphicke says the French should be doing more to detect illegal immigrants.

His comments followed the discovery of 17 people in the back of an articulated lorry at Dover's Eastern Docks on Friday, June 25.

Sixteen of them needed medical treatment for exhaustion and dehydration and one was taken to hospital.

Ambulance crews were called to provide treatment and one was taken to the William Harvey Hospital at Ashford.

All those found in the lorry were boys and men, aged between 16 and 35 years.

The 53-year-old Polish driver of the lorry was arrested and interviewed on suspicion of immigration offences. He was then released on bail and told he must report to police in September.

In the House of Commons, Mr Elphicke asked the Home Secretary, Theresa May, about her plans to crack down on the trafficking of people, weapons and drugs.

He said 17 people of Afghan origin were found in the back of the lorry and all were in a pretty bad way.

“It was a refrigerated lorry and many of the people were taken to hospital.

“It is important to have X-ray scanning on the French side of the border, for lorry cabs to be checked on the French side and for the French to be encouraged to do more as the first country of arrival.

“What measures might the Home Secretary take in that regard?”

Theresa May said they took human trafficking “extremely seriously”.

“The Minister for Immigration and I have already held meetings with the French Minister for Immigration and we are talking to the French on a regular basis about the processes that need to be in place to ensure that we can control our borders.”