Two teenagers who police believe were victims of human traffickers have disappeared in Sussex.

The Vietnamese boys, both aged 15, were originally found in the back of a lorry near Crawley.

They were taken into care under guidelines to deal with victims of people-smuggling - but went missing within three weeks.

Police said they are the first children to go missing from care for a year, following the introduction of new procedures to try to stop the flow of smuggled children into the country.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “There is no evidence or information at this stage to suggest that they have come to harm, but they had little if any cash or other belongings, speak almost no English and had clearly only just arrived in the UK when they were found.”

Tam Xuan Le and Tuan Anh Tran were taken into West Sussex County Council’s care after a Dutch lorry driver found them in the back of his lorry on January 4.

They were last seen at a children’s home in Worthing late on the evening of Saturday January 23.

The following morning they had gone.

Police said their details have been sent to the charity Missing People and all other police forces in the country.

Tam was described as 5ft 6in, slim, with black hair. He was believed to be wearing a white hooded top with a check design and to have two earrings in his left ear.

Tuan was described as 5ft 7in, slim, with black hair. He was believed to be wearing a light coloured jacket with a black blob logo and blue jeans.

Police launched Operation Newbridge alongside the UK Border Agency and West Sussex County Council in January 2008 to target unaccompanied children arriving at Gatwick and going missing from care.

The operation also includes children arriving at the county’s ports who are believed to be at risk from traffickers.

In 2007 20 children were taken into care from Gatwick of which nine - three Nigerian and six Chinese - later went missing.

In 2009 only three were taken into care and none went missing.

Anyone who has seen the two boys or knows of their whereabouts is asked to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999, quoting serial 411 of January 24, or alternatively contact Missing People on 0500 700700 or at www.missingpeople.org.uk/contact.