Great Yarmouth stowaway children found on ship

Four children who said they were Moroccan nationals were found on the MV Anetta

Four stowaway children have been found on a container ship arriving in the UK from Belgium.

They were found by Border Force officials aboard the MV Anetta when it arrived in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on Sunday.

They identified themselves as Moroccan nationals and have been taken into the care of Norfolk social services.

Peel Ports, which operates the outer harbour, said it was working with Border Force after securing the vessel.

Norfolk County Council said the children were being cared for in emergency accommodation.

"They will be assessed by specialist social workers from our Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers team to enable us to find appropriate longer-term placements for them," said a spokesman.

In a statement, Border Force said their cases would be dealt with in accordance with immigration rules.

The MV Anetta docked at Great Yarmouth's Outer Harbour on Sunday

The MV Anetta set sail from Zebrugge on Saturday.

The discovery of the four children is the second time in less than three months that stowaways have been found on a ship coming into Great Yarmouth.

In September, 21 people from Albania, including two children, were found on board the Rotra Mare when it anchored five miles off the coast.