Essex lorry deaths: Bodies removed from vehicle for post-mortems

Police have removed some of the bodies of the 39 people who were found in a lorry container at an Essex industrial estate.

Eleven of the victims have been taken to a mortuary so post-mortems can be carried out.

The bodies were taken by private ambulance under police escort to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

The 31 men and eight women, thought to be Chinese, were discovered at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays in the early hours of Wednesday.

Later that day, they were moved to a more sensitive site at nearby Tilbury Docks as police try to identify them.

Vigils have been held outside the Home Office in London, as well as in Brighton and Belfast, to pay tribute to the victims.

The lorry cab had started its journey in Northern Ireland before meeting the trailer in Purfleet, Essex.

It comes as three addresses in County Armagh were searched by officers following the arrest of the lorry driver on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody.

Sky sources named the suspect as Mo Robinson, from Portadown, and police said on Thursday they had been granted an extra 24 hours to question him.

The 25-year-old was driving the lorry before police were called to the scene in Grays at 1.40am, and officers have since begun the task of identifying those who died.

His family are said to be “stunned” by news of his arrest and hope it is “a complete and utter mistake”, having first found out when his picture appeared in the media.

Their local councillor, Paul Berry, told Sky News: “His family are very well respected in the area and are very actively involved in community organisations.

“Our heart goes out to them because as of yesterday morning they were not aware that he had been arrested.”

He added: “The community’s thoughts and prayers are with the family of the 39 people who have lost their lives. People are devastated but also stunned and shocked that someone local has been arrested.”

Irish company Global Irish Rental said it owned the container and rented it out on 15 October, according to reports.

Belgian authorities believe the container was transported to the UK from the port of Zeebrugge at 2.49pm local time on Tuesday, arriving in Purfleet at around midnight.

CCTV has shown it being driven towards the industrial park at 1.10am, half an hour before Essex Police were called to the scene by ambulance crews.

In similar circumstances, the bodies of 58 Chinese people were found in a container at Dover, Kent, in 2000.

The Belgian public prosecutor’s office said it is “not yet clear” when and where the victims were placed in the container, adding that no further information would be released at this time.

Its statement said it would continue to work with police in the UK to find out what happened – and the Chinese foreign affairs ministry has told Sky News it is also investigating the case. The Chinese embassy has sent a team to Essex.

Meanwhile, lorry driver Graham Westmorland told Sky News that scanners at Zeebrugge were not up to the job and people were able to get through without being picked up.

How the container ended up in Grays

Police believe the trailer travelled on a ship from the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium on Tuesday – where it was before then remains unclear.

From Zeebrugge it headed to Purfleet in Essex, arriving in the early hours of Wednesday.

Essex Police say the lorry cab began its journey to Grays in Northern Ireland, from where it headed to Dublin and then caught a ferry to Holyhead in north Wales.

It made its way to Essex and picked the container up from Purfleet at around 12.30am on Wednesday.

It left Purfleet at 1.05am and was driven to Grays, with CCTV footage showing the lorry driving towards the industrial park minutes before the bodies were found.

The images were taken at 1.10am and show the vehicle just around the corner from where the discovery was made a short time later at the estate.

Police are likely to be looking into the movements of the trailer, which is said to be fitted with a GPS tracking system.

The Bulgarian ministry of foreign affairs said the Scania truck was registered in Varna and prime minister Boyko Borissov said the vehicle had not entered the country since 2017.

Road haulage experts said temperatures in refrigerated units can be as low as -25C.

Police in Essex and local councillors have come together to sign a book of condolences for the victims and flowers have also been left at the entrance to the industrial estate.

Officers say people who are concerned about a loved one should call 0800 056 0944, or 0044 207 158 0010 if calling from abroad.

(c) Sky News 2019: Essex lorry deaths: Bodies removed from vehicle for post-mortems