Several grooms and riders have lately experienced dangerous episodes when crossing the English channel, as migrants in Calais trying to reach Britain do anything go get on board the trucks passing over.

In July, a truck going from Belgium with horses competing at Hickstead, Great Britain was discovered to have a migrant hanging on under it. A few weeks ago, dressage star Charlotte Dujardin’s groom Alan Davies also had a illegal immigrant under his truck - hanging on to the chassis. 

On Sunday, it was John and Robert Whitaker’s turn to feel uncomfortable when taking off the exit towards the ferry in Calais after competing at a show in Liege, Belgium. “Immigrants put a huge bollard in the road so we had to stop. Dad jumped out to move it then some immigrants jumped out and dropped the ramp on the horse box, we drove of quick with ramp down! We were lucky, no immigrants got in - but be careful everyone make sure your horse boxes are locked and ramps too,” Robert Whitaker warned on Facebook. 

Similar warning on social media have appeared more and more frequently during the last month. 

If caught with migrants in the truck when on British soil, the driver risks a fine. 

Source: Robert Whitaker's Facebook account