The incident occurred on December 7, while Bishop was traveling alone with five horses. He had stopped to refuel in Belgium, about an hour’s drive from Calais. When the self-service machine rejected his card, he was forced to go inside to pay. That brief window of time was enough for five individuals to climb into the trailer towed behind his lorry.

"I do not frighten easily, but that frightened the life out of me," Bishop said. "On the Eurotunnel, you are in a shut-in section with the horses. I even walked straight past the trailer to go to the toilet, having no idea it was full of people."

"They were trying to make me stop"

During the drive along the M20 motorway in Britain, Bishop realized something was wrong. "A car pulled up alongside me, flashing its lights. Then they pulled out in front of me and slowed right down with their hazard lights on."

It later emerged that the stowaways had opened the trailer's jockey door to catch the attention of other drivers. They were reportedly hoping the rider would stop on the motorway so they could jump out.

Belongings left in the driveway

The full gravity of the situation only became clear when he reached home around midnight. "I heard a slam and saw the last person running off into the dark," Bishop noted. In their haste to escape, the intruders left behind tents, sleeping bags, food, and toiletries inside the trailer.

Essex Police arrived on the scene within minutes, deploying a helicopter and sniffer dogs, but the individuals were not found. Although the police seized the trailer for forensic investigation, Bishop was treated as a victim rather than a suspect.

Warning: Fines of up to £10,000 per person

According to British authorities, the number of incidents targeting horseboxes has doubled. Migrants are specifically looking for:

  • Unlocked tack lockers or groom’s doors.

  • Space on the axles of the vehicle.

  • Areas behind wind deflectors on the roof.

  • Window bars, which are sometimes broken to gain entry.

The consequences for equestrians can be severe. Beyond the trauma, drivers risk fines of £10,000 (approx. €12,000) per person found on board, and the vehicle may be seized.

"Don't stop anywhere"

Bishop is not alone in this experience. Freelance groom Ludo Langton previously spotted two people sitting on his tack locker via his onboard camera after refueling in Belgium. "The authorities wouldn't go in because there were horses on board. I had to go in myself—one migrant was actually underneath a horse."

The message from the equestrian community is clear: be extremely vigilant, check your vehicle thoroughly before reaching border controls, and, if possible, avoid stopping entirely in the regions surrounding the major ports.