AN illegal immigrant travelled to the UK after hiding out on a coach bringing schoolchildren back to Stroud from France.

Students and staff from Marling School were shocked to discover that a man had stowed away in the luggage hold of their coach.

Officials searched the coach at the ferry terminal in Calais and found a man hiding in the luggage compartment.

It is not clear whether this was the same man discovered in the coach in the UK or whether there had been a second stowaway.

The coach was transporting students and staff from the all boys’ school in Cainscross Road back to the UK following a successful four day educational visit to the battlefields of Belgium and Northern France.

On arrival to the first drop off point at the Truck Stop Café on the A419, Cirencester, just before 8pm on Tuesday, September 23 the driver heard a noise coming from underneath the coach.

Upon opening the hold a man climbed out and ran off towards Tesco and McDonald’s.

He was arrested and a police spokesman said he had seemed distressed as it was very hot in the hold.

Jonathan Gannon, deputy headteacher at Marling School said: “It was a shame that this unpleasant incident occurred at the end of such a superb learning experience for the boys.

“At no point was there any direct contact with staff or students and I’m grateful to the staff for their calm and reassuring manner with which they dealt with the incident”.

A spokesman for the Home Office confirmed the man was Sudanese and that his case was currently being processed.

The UK government has pledged £12m to tackle the growing problem of illegal immigrants trying to enter Britain through Calais.