A SUSPECTED migrant was found under a horsebox at the home of British showjumping after travelling across from Calais.

The man was discovered when staff unloading the truck heard screams as they lowered the mechanical tailgate at Hickstead near Haywards Heath.

The 26-year-old, from Sudan, had arrived on a Belgian-registered lorry at the All England Jumping Course at the showground.

Organisers said at a previous show they found two hiding in a truck which had come over from Spain.

The discovery comes as the migrant crisis at the channel crossing reaches a critical point.

Edward Bunn, who co-runs Hickstead, said: “As the worker went to unload what they have to do is use a hydraulic lift to drop the back end down.

“They heard a scream and they found him underneath and handed him over to our security.

“The medical team gave him a check up, gave him some water and offered him food before calling the police and the authorities.”

He added: “Having driven horseboxes through Calais it is a hard job. I have never had one come on my vehicle but you see there are hundreds of them on the side of the road.

“We have a policy now not to stop within 100 miles of Calais but when you there and you are in a big queue – they do thorough checks at the docks, but one or two are going to get through.

“The problem is at the source and we have to address why they are leaving their countries in the first place.

“They have put themselves at huge risk and if stop them at Calais they are just going to go elsewhere.”

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “At 6.43pm on Tuesday (July 28) police were called to the international showjumping ground at Hickstead after the driver of a horse-box found a stranger aboard.

“The vehicle had been driven from Belgium via Calais.

“A 26-year-old man from the Sudan was arrested on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant and currently remains in police custody.”