FIVE suspected illegal immigrants were seen jumping off the back of a lorry in Cowley this morning.

Unipart Manufacturing House, who alerted Thames Valley Police at 9.02am, said the lorry was opened by security guards outside the company's distribution centre in Garsington Road.

Spokesman Frank Nigriello said the five men then fled the haulier vehicle, which was carrying products from an unnamed European country, before splitting off and hiding in a nearby field.

Two got as far as Horspath Road, he added.

Soon after Thames Valley Police, which would not reveal what country the men were from, intervened and arrested the first man at 9.13am and the other four men before 9.30am.

Unipart and TVP did not say if anyone else had escaped after jumping off the lorry, but added five men had been detained for entering the country illegally.

A nearby witness said: "I saw a lot of people getting off the lorries this morning.

"I think they have been experiencing it quite a lot of this over the past week.

"I have seen dog handlers from the police looking for them.

"I saw them jump off and run towards the Horspath road."

TVP spokeswoman Lucy Billen said: "Five men were detained nearby and are currently be held in custody for entering the country illegally."

The lorry driver has been questioned but has not been detained, officers added.

Mr Nigriello, who has worked for Unipart for 21 years, said this was only the second time an illegal immigration incident had happened at the site as far as he was aware but would not reveal the nature of the previous incident or when it occurred.