WORKERS opened a lorry delivering parts to a Worcester company to discover four immigrants hiding inside.

Employees at Joy Mining Machinery uncovered the group - believed to be from Albania and Sri Lanka - when they opened up the canvas-sided truck, which was carrying roof support fabrications, yesterday.

The workers managed to keep hold of them while police were called to the firm in Bromyard Road, St John's, shortly before 11am yesterday and took them away.

"It appears they had torn the canvas on top and got in through there," said Kevin Spencer, operations manager at Joy Mining.

"This was a weekly shipment from Holland and Poland."

Mr Spencer said the company had never experienced anything like it before.

A police spokeswoman confirmed the four were being held at the city's divisional police headquarters in Castle Street while the immigration service was contacted to check if they were illegal immigrants.

"Immigration are investigating and interviewing them," a spokes-man from the Home Office said.

"If they haven't got the documentation to enter the country and get past immigration control, they will be removed."

Worcester's MP, Mike Foster, condemned the transportation of illegal immigrants as a dangerous activity.

"To get to Worcester without being noticed means these people have been inside this lorry for an awfully long time," he said.

"There are laws in place to punish those who transport these people illegally, and the lorry driver concerned may find himself punished for not taking due account of what was in his load.

"If they're genuine asylum seekers then Britain has held out its shores to them to stay free from persecution.

"However if they aren't genuine, they'll face being deported."