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West Midlands head condemns border controls after illegal immigrant hitches lift on school coach

A head teacher has condemned Government border controls after an illegal immigrant managed to hitch a 200-mile ride to the UK clinging to the underside of a school coach.

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The 35-year-old man, believed to be from Sudan, had ridden on the vehicle's axle after climbing underneath near the Eurotunnel Calais terminal in France and evading security checks.

He was only discovered as he emerged 'disorientated' from under the coach, as youngsters arrived back at the Perry Beeches Academy, executive head teacher Liam Nolan said.

Mr Nolan hit out at what he called an incompetent 'lapse in security', saying it was 'jeopardising' his pupils' education.

The man was arrested after the coach's arrival late on Saturday night, and is now being processed by the UK Border Force.

Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said the Government was working with the French authorities to tighten security measures.

Mr Nolan said the coach had been through a security check at Calais, adding he was "particularly angry the man was not found at the time".

Pupils arrived back outside the school's gates after 11pm, at which point the immigrant emerged in what Mr Nolan described as 'an awful state'.

However, Mr Nolan said the "lapse in security" posed questions as to how the academy's future school trips abroad would be operated, and he was writing to parents about the incident.

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