SIXTEEN men discovered in the back of a lorry outside an Oxfordshire Tesco store are now being quizzed by immigration officials, the Home Office has confirmed.

The men were found aboard the lorry on the A41 outside Bicester Tesco at 7pm last night.

One of the group, who believed they had been in the back of the lorry for two days, called police himself.

Video by Charles Brown - @imcharliecbrown 

At least six emergency services vehicles attended and paramedics examined those that police removed from the back of the lorry.

More than a dozen police officers swooped on the scene, escorted the men off the van and arrested the lorry driver.

The Home Office, which took the operation over from police last night, has now said the men, who say they are from Iran, range in age from 23 to 52.

Spokeswoman Jackie Stewart said: "They were all arrested for suspected immigration offences and will be interviewed by immigration officials."

She added that where anyone has no right to remain in the UK, the Home Office will take action to remove them.

She also revealed that the lorry driver, a 45-year-old Polish national, was arrested on suspicion of facilitation of illegal immigrants, but has now been released without charge.

South Central Ambulance Service spokesman David Gallagher said paramedics attended over fear for the men's welfare because they believed they had bene in the back of the lorry for two days.

Charles Brown from Kirtlington was passing when the lorry was pulled over.

He told the Oxford Mail at 8pm last night: "We spotted the police pulling over the wagon on the A41 by the layby and they have now been moved into the Tesco car park where it is a bit safer obviously.

"It was just the one lorry that was pulled over and police are still taking people off the lorry but I think there is about 15 people.

"There are a couple of ambulances here and lots of police who are being marvellous and really caring with them.

"I went in to Tesco to go buy lots of bottles of water to take to the ambulance crew and they have been giving them out."

It comes after 15 men were arrested in September last year after a lorry carrying 19 illegal immigrants was stopped by police n the same area.