A dozen illegal immigrants were found hiding in a truck when its German driver became suspicious after hearing noises.

The driver went straight to Hove Police Station at about 7.30am yesterday and the men were found in the back of the truck.

According to a police source the vehicle had entered the country through Dover and the driver was due to make a delivery in Hove.

However, before offloading his goods he heard the noises and decided to drive directly to the police station.

He contacted police and officers arrested the men in the back of the lorry on suspicion of immigration offences.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police confirmed the men were arrested but said the force could not comment as the issue was being dealt with by the UK Border Agency.

A spokeswoman for the UK Border Agency said four of the men were from Iran, four were from Iraq and four were from Afghanistan.

Six were under the age of 18 and were now being cared for by Brighton and Hove social services.

She said: “The remaining men have been served with papers and are in Dover being dealt with by the UK immigration team.”

The driver was questioned and released without charge.

The discovery is the latest of a number of incidents in which illegal immigrants have been found in the county.

In August, 25 Chinese immigrants were discovered minutes away from death in the back of a van which was filling with carbon monoxide fumes in Newhaven.

The young men and woman were being trafficked in cramped conditions, with almost no ventilation.

In the first week of October four illegal immigrants were found trying to sneak their way into Sussex through Newhaven Harbour in three separate attempts.

And on October 17 four illegal immigrants were arrested after passers-by spotted them climbing out of the back of a lorry on the A27 near Lewes.

Last month officials from the UK Border Agency also swooped on China China in Preston Street, Brighton, and arrested 12 suspected illegal immigrant workers.