Police have changed a “barmy” policy which allowed illegal immigrants found in Warwickshire to be released straight away without even being asked for identification.

Stowaways in lorries parked at the Warwick services on the M40 were until recently being told to find their way to Liverpool or Croydon for registration with the authorities.

The police have revised their procedures after Coun Nigel Rock (Lib Dem, Stockton and Napton), whose ward covers part of the same police beat, expressed his outrage.

He said:

“The system was completely barmy, and I’m sure most of the illegal immigrants disappeared without trace.

“They could have been anyone, and no attempt was made to identify or apprehend them.

“We seemed to be operating a completely different system from that at the border entry point.”