A person has been charged after migrants were found in a freezer lorry at Newhaven ferry port.

The discovery on Friday morning sparked a major emergency services response, with ambulances, police and Border Force descending on the area.

Shocked passengers told how a ferry company worker used an axe to smash his way into the lorry, which had travelled on a ferry from Dieppe, France, after hearing desperate banging from inside.

The freed migrants were wrapped in foil blankets and were seen being stretchered away to hospital.

Six people were taken to hospital.

No deaths have been reported by Sussex Police.

Two men were arrested in connection with the incident, one was detained on suspicion of people smuggling and the other on suspicion of entering the UK illegally.

The Home Office has today confirmed one person has now been charged over the incident.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and emergency services continue to investigate an incident in Newhaven on Friday, February 16.

“An individual has been charged with assisting unlawful entry into the UK. While the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

One French passenger, who was heading to Brighton with his family for a holiday, told The Argus the people inside the lorry were "lying on top of each other" and claimed that a "false wall inside the truck" hid them from view.

He said: "The place was very small and they were suffocating. It was arm's length wide.

"A guy from the ferry company said he went inside the garage and heard people banging from inside the lorry.

“It was a small lorry, a refrigerated one. The guy opened it up with an axe. We saw people being taken away with oxygen masks on a trolley.

"It was very emotional to me and for people watching."

He also said that passengers were taken off the ferry but had to wait at the port for two hours.

"We only found out when we arrived. The company have been very kind with us but they seemed very shocked too," he said.

Martin Sinnock, 70, whose home overlooks the entrance to Newhaven Harbour, said he saw "a lot of activity" and huge emergency response, including a helicopter landing on the quayside shortly after the ferry arrived.

Cars were seen boarding the ferry at around 2pm as the service back to Dieppe resumed.