A STOWAWAY who had hitched a ride back with shocked Bentley Scouts after a trip to France has been confirmed as an illegal immigrant.

In a statement from the Home Office on Monday, it was confirmed that immigration enforcement had been contact by Hampshire Constabulary at around 11pm on May 2, after police officers attended the incident at Bentley.

The man had been discovered by Scout leaders unpacking a van full of kitchen equipment. He was immediately locked in the van and the police were called.

A Home Office spokesman said: “A 26-year-old man from Iran has been arrested on suspicion of entering the UK illegally. He has been transferred to an immigration detention centre pending removal from the country.”