Couple’s £6,000 Stowaway Fine Reduced After Intervention

Peter Hughes, 75, and Anne Lawton, 78, from Droylsden, Greater Manchester, initially faced a £6,000 fine after UK Border Agency personnel discovered a migrant stowaway in their trailer. This penalty, issued because they had not inspected their trailer—which was attached to their mobile home—before boarding a ferry from Calais in May, has since been reduced following involvement from the deputy prime minister. Mr. Hughes reached out to the office of his local MP, Angela Rayner, explaining that he was unaware the young Sudanese man had entered their vehicle and that he had not realized he was violating any regulations. He stated that Ms. Rayner subsequently contacted the Home Office, confirming last week that the fine had been lowered to £150. Regarding the outcome, Mr. Hughes commented: “I’m just glad it’s all over with, it’s not done us any good mentally.” A spokeswoman for the Home Office affirmed: “We are fully committed to stopping people from illegally entering the country and cracking down on people smugglers.” She added that “The Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme aims to ensure drivers are taking every reasonable step to deter irregular migration and disrupt people smugglers.” While Mr. Hughes accepted the revised fine, he noted that there was “no notification anywhere”—neither from Border Force UK nor from the ferry operator P & O—informing him of a legal requirement to check his trailer before embarking on the ferry. He further suggested: “l believe there should be a big sign at the port saying, ‘have you checked your trailer’?” He also remarked: “I didn’t even consider the possibility of someone getting inside my trailer, it was full.” A representative from Ms. Rayner’s constituency office confirmed it had “provided support to Mr Peter Hughes in his appeal.” The BBC has also sought a comment from P&O. Mr. Hughes expressed his hope that his “incredibly stressful” ordeal would encourage others to be “more careful.” He recounted his belief that the man had entered his trailer while it was parked at a supermarket close to the Calais ferry terminal, with his wife still inside their vehicle. He reflected: “There are a lot of people that go to Europe who are of a similar age to myself and we’re pretty savvy with most things,” adding, “[But] it was…totally unbelievable.” He concluded: “It happened to us and we still don’t believe it happened to us.”