Migrants attempting to enter UK in refrigerated trailers are ‘constant threat'
An average of nearly 100 people per month were detected infiltrating trucks entering the UK between January and September last year.
People hiding in trailers cause delays, increased costs, potential damage to goods and disposal of produce, researchers found.
Companies transporting food, household goods and healthcare items dispose of an average of 56% of stock on an infiltrated lorry.
The value of lost stock can be up to tens of thousands of pounds, research found.
This can result in revenue loss several times higher.
The report, produced with research company Analytiqa, stated: 'The use of refrigerated trailers to gain illegal access for stowaways remains a constant threat to food safety and contributes to considerable unnecessary waste and risk within the food supply chain.'
Oakland International co-founder Dean Attwell said: 'The rise in clandestine infiltration is not just a statistic, it's a ticking time bomb for food safety, driver security and public health.
'Every compromised load puts the public at risk and costs the industry millions per year.
'We need urgent, co-ordinated action across the supply chain to implement robust security protocols, improve traceability and ensure accountability at every stage.'
In cases where a vehicle is found carrying a hidden entrant, the Government can issue the transport company with fines of up to £10,000 per stowaway.
Road Haulage Association senior public affairs lead Ashton Cull said failings within Border Force and the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme mean 'all the responsibility and liability is being unfairly shifted onto drivers and businesses who have taken all possible steps to secure their vehicles'.
He added: 'We repeat our call for further and urgent investment in training and technology at our borders to help keep loads secure.
'We want to see a fair system in place that protects drivers, goods and businesses as well as our borders.
'We look forward to seeing greater urgency on this issue.'
The Home Office was approached for a comment.
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The Herald Scotland
28 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
1,200 ex-cons returned to prison amid reoffending increase
And a leading victim support charity has called on the Scottish Government to reform the "confusing" process. In 2021, the Parole Board of Scotland recommended that the Scottish Government revoke the release licences of 241 people. That number also dipped in 2022, slipping to 226, before an increase of 19.5% in 2023 (270 people). Last year, 285 people were sent back to prison, while 152 have been remanded during the first six months of 2025. That is a total of 1,174 people. The number of inmates in Scottish prisons averaged 7,860 in 2023/24, up 6% from the previous year. (Image: Colin Mearns) Meanwhile, 1,009 prisoners had been issued with release declarations or recommendations by the parole board between 2021 and 2025. The figures reveal that 248 prisoners were paroled in 248, followed by 191 in 2022. The number rose by 18.8% to 227 in 2023, before rising again to 240 last year. And in the first six months of 2025, 103 prisoners were paroled. According to the parole board, the 1,174 recommendations made by the board include people who had been released from prison on a 'parole' licence, as well as those who were released automatically 'upon reaching their earliest date of liberation'. However, Scottish Government ministers are permitted to revoke licenses without asking the board for a recommendation, which means the total number of reoffenders could be greater. While the terms of parole differ for each inmate, all continue a standard set of conditions, which include acting in 'good behavior', agreeing to visits and remaining in contact with one's parole officer, and not committing any offence. Kate Wallace, Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland, told The Herald that the parole system could be 'vastly improved'. She said: 'While we acknowledge that parole decisions are purely based on risk, we fully support any changes to the system to make it more victim-centred, transparent and trauma-informed. "Victims often tell us they feel confused by the parole process and that they are not routinely informed when the perpetrator in their case breaches licence conditions. This presents them with a multitude of challenges, including their ability to plan for their own safety. People deserve to feel safe in their own homes and communities. Victim Support Scotland has called for a rethink of the current parole system. Wallace added: "We look forward to the Scottish Government's upcoming consultation on parole which will give people impacted by crime a voice in strengthening this important process. "In the meantime, Victim Support Scotland stands ready to support victims of crime at any stage of their journey, including helping them to navigate the parole system. The Parole Board's Annual Report for 2023/24, explains how applications for release are assessed, noting: 'The Board only grants release in cases where the level and nature of risk are deemed to be manageable. This decision is informed by oral or written evidence in the form of witness evidence or, usually, reports contained in dossiers.' However, in June, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) revealed that more than 150 violent offenders had been released in February and March 2025, in a bid to combat overcrowding in the prison estate. 312 inmates who had served 40% of their sentence were released over the two months, 152 of which had been imprisoned for violent crimes of a non-sexual nature. Prisoners who have committed domestic abuse or sexual offences are not included in the early release provision. At the time, the SPS said the number of incarcerated people in Scotland's prisons had reached a critical level. "While these releases have provided some respite,' a spokesperson said, 'our staff continue to manage an extremely high and complex population, with eight prisons now at red risk status, and the number of people in custody set to rise even further. "This has an increasingly destabilising effect on our establishments, with staff unable to do the critical work of building relationships and supporting rehabilitation, and prisoners frustrated by the impact on their daily lives and the opportunities available to them." Read more: 'A pressure cooker': More than 8,000 violent prison assaults recorded 'More psychologists in Scottish prisons could prevent overcrowding' 'No plan': Swinney accused over response to spiralling taxpayer cost of prisons Reacting to the release of the figures, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Decisions on individual cases are a matter for the independent Parole Board for Scotland. Their decisions, including those around recall, are based on a clear risk assessment of any individuals being managed safely in the community. 'The parole system could work better for everyone – hearing a wide range of views is essential to developing a more person-centred, trauma-informed system. 'That is why [we] have already committed to a public consultation on reform of the parole system. It will be informed by direct engagement with victims, justice partners, and those with lived experience, driving a parole system that is fair, transparent, and trusted.'
The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
How can England possibly be running out of water?
During the drought of 2022, London came perilously close to running out of water. Water companies and the government prayed desperately for rain as reservoirs ran low and the groundwater was slowly drained off. Contingency plans were drafted to ban businesses from using water; hotel swimming pools would have been drained, ponds allowed to dry up, offices to go uncleaned. If the lack of rainfall had continued for another year, it was possible that taps could have run dry. That, however, was just a taster of what could come down the line. On Tuesday, the government announced a 'nationally significant' water shortage in England, which means the whole country is at risk of running out if the dry weather continues. People across England are already banned from using hosepipes, with more restrictions probable over coming months. The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), an independent research institute, has warned of exceptionally low river flows. Reservoirs are also at extremely low levels and groundwater is dwindling. Droughts are generally two-year events. A year of dry weather means water supplies are running out – that is what is happening now. Things really come to a head if the following year does not bring above average rainfall. That is when the shortages start to bite, with farmers unable to irrigate and households and businesses hit with sweeping restrictions. With reservoirs at record lows and stream flows exceptionally low, England is desperate for rain. Forecasts indicate that by 2055 England's public water supply could be short by 5bn litres a day without urgent action to future-proof resources, the equivalent to more than a third of the supplies available today. The effect on the economy will be profoundly negative. The thinktank Public First has estimated that the economic cost of water scarcity could be £8.5bn over this parliament. So how on earth did famously rainswept England, notorious the world over for being green and wet with our national symbol pretty much a furled umbrella, come to this? Britain's geology and climate means there should be plenty of water. Underground in the south of England the rock is made of chalk, which is very soft and porous. These layers of rock filter rainwater into some of the cleanest water in the world, collecting in huge aquifers that have been tapped by local residents for centuries. Water companies now use those aquifers to provide the majority of the drinking water in some parts of the south. Further north, the rock underfoot is harder; sandstone and limestone, so lacking the benefits of the chalk aquifer. But it tends to receive more rainfall than the south, so there has generally been plentiful water from the skies to fill the reservoirs on which the northern water companies rely. 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UK households use more water, mostly on showering and bathing, than other comparable European countries, at about 150 litres a day per capita. For France the average is 128, Germany 122 and Spain 120 (although in Italy its 243 litres a day). And the waste starts long before it gets to people's taps. Water companies in England and Wales lose about 1tn litres of water through leaky pipes each year. The industry has said that about 20% of all treated water is lost to leaks. The water firms have pledged to halve leakages by 2050. Meanwhile, the annual pipe replacement rate is 0.05% a year across all water companies: much of the sewage system in London, for example, has not been significantly updated since Bazalgette and his colleagues installed it in the 19th century. No new reservoir has been built in 30 years despite significant population growth and climate breakdown meaning longer, drier summers during which the country desperately needs to store water. 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The Environment Agency (EA) assess that 15% of surface water bodies and 27% of groundwater bodies in England have unsustainable levels of abstraction. 'We are calling on everyone to play their part and help reduce the pressure on our water environment,' says Helen Wakeham, the EA's director of water and chair of the National Drought Group. 'Water companies must continue to quickly fix leaks and lead the way in saving water.' This is not just a management problem. As climate breakdown accelerates, rainfall patterns are changing fast, and water will increasingly become less available at certain times of year. As Sir David King, a former UK chief scientific adviser who chairs the Climate Crisis Advisory Group, says: 'Drought in England is no longer a warning. It is a clear signal that climate collapse is unravelling our water, food and natural systems right now. 'This crisis demands a fundamental shift that places real value on our planet and environment, invests in nature, restores water cycles and transforms how we use every drop. If we rise to this moment we can turn crisis into opportunity, delivering economic resilience, ecological renewal and climate leadership.' The UK is not the only country that is already struggling to deal with changing weather patterns. Almost half of Europe is in drought, with wildfires tearing across the continent and farmers struggling to grow crops. Many of the economies of Southern Europe are dependent on sunny weather that has historically made the region the perfect place to grow vegetables for export. Scientists are concerned that farming in certain southern European countries will become less and less viable. More than 90 million people in eastern and southern Africa are facing extreme hunger after record-breaking drought across many areas has led to widespread crop failures and the death of livestock. As the impacts of the climate crisis unfurl around the world, is the UK government awake to the scale of the problem? Nine new reservoirs are in the pipeline to be built before 2050, while there are consultations on reducing demand for water. But this may be too little, too late; many housing developments are on pause because of water scarcity. The first new reservoir planned for Abingdon in Oxfordshire is sited in the same place as the government's new datacentre zone, leading to fears the water will be used to cool servers rather than serve customers in one of the most water-stressed areas of the UK. Green homes experts have said government building codes for new housing should include rainwater harvesting for internal use such as in lavatories and washing machines. People with gardens could use a water butt in summer, so that clean tap water is not being pumped through a hose into garden plants. Reducing time in the shower by a minute can save water, says Waterwise, while green building groups recommend the use of water-saving shower heads. A recent government commissioned report recommends smart water meters ate installed nationally, so households who use sprinklers and fill swimming pools are charged more than those who are more frugal with their use. More broadly, farmers could build reservoirs on their land to reduce the need for irrigation. Nature-based solutions could be used too, such as releasing beavers that create dams and hold water in the system, or restoring wetlands. 'We need to build more resilience into our rivers and their catchment areas with nature-based solutions at scale, such as healthy soils that allow water to filter into the ground and not rush off taking the soil with it; riverside tree planting to provide shade and further slow the flow of water; wetlands to store and slowly release water, and rewiggling streams to raise the water table and purify pollutants,' says Mark Lloyd, the chief executive of the Rivers Trust. 'We also need to finally implement the use of rainwater rather than drinking water where we can, such as car washing, gardening, washing pets, filling paddling pools and flushing the loo. Other water-stressed countries have used this approach for decades and we need to join that party.'
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Alex Salmond's widow suing government over botched sexual harassment probe into late husband
Moira's determination to pursue the case has been galvanised by criticism of her late husband in Nicola Sturgeon's book. Alex Salmond's widow has appointed a team of lawyers and reactivated the former first minister's legal action against the Scottish Government. Moira's determination to pursue the case has been galvanised by criticism of her late husband in Nicola Sturgeon's book which was published last week. A KC, two junior counsel and a lead investigator are now in place with finance for the court battle secured. A family friend said: 'Moira is upset and angered by the continued attempts to smear Alex in the book – much of which is ridiculous and inaccurate. 'It has only strengthened her resolve to make sure that the full truth comes out and that Alex's name is cleared.' Salmond had been in the process of suing the government over its botched probe into sexual harassment complaints against him. The case could be devastating for Sturgeon's political legacy as it rev-olves around claims senior figures close to her colluded to destroy Salmond over fears he was planning a return to frontline politics in 2018. The action was frozen when the ex-SNP leader died of a heart attack in North Macedonia in October last year, aged 69. However Moira has now been appointed executor of his estate allowing her to hire a legal team and reactivate proceedings. The family friend added: 'Her case against the Scottish Government is now live, the legal team is in place, the finance in place and this will be going ahead, no question of that. 'Alex may not be here to defend himself but his family are determined to stand up to those who continue to attack him. 'There is an adjustment period ongoing until September where updates can be made by either side to their paperwork, it takes time but the ball is rolling. Anyone who thinks this is just going to go away is wrong.' Rich pals of Salmond are understood to be prepared to bankroll the case in a bid to expose the full truth behind the most explosive episode. In her memoir Frankly, Sturgeon denied the existence of a conspiracy to destroy her former boss. She accused him of failing to show any contrition for his 'inappropriate' behaviour towards women. In 2020, Salmond was cleared of 13 sexual offence charges, including attempted rape. He also won a legal case against the Scottish Government over its handing of complaints against him and won over £500,000. The judicial review of a government probe into his conduct was found to have been 'tainted by apparent bias'. Sturgeon writes that Salmond 'would have rather destroyed the SNP than see it succeed without him.' She added: 'He impugned the integrity of the institutions at the heart of Scottish democracy – government, police, Crown Office. He was prepared to traumatise, time and again, the women at the centre of it all.' Moira, 88, has asked for the attacks to stop and said they have caused the family 'great distress'. She said: 'Attacks by the living on the dead will seem to many as deeply unfair. My wish, and sincere hope, is that these attacks will now stop.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The case accused the government of misfeasance – a civil law term meaning the wrongful exercise of lawful authority. The government previously vowed to defend itself 'robustly' in court. However an out of court settlement could also be possible. Salmond's lawyers previously claimed that Holyrood officials had acted 'improperly, in bad faith and beyond their powers with the intention of injuring' the former SNP leader. Before he died, the Alba founder warned of a 'day of reckoning'. Conservative MP David Davis has said that he believes a plot to discredit his close friend caused huge stress and that it could also have been a factor in his death. He said: 'I want to see this exposed so the Scottish Government is forced to answer the questions that it ought to answer.' Salmond took the SNP from a fringe party in the 90s to complete dominance in Scottish politics. He left to lead Alba after the sexual harassment claims sparke d a bitter dispute with Sturgeon.
