Sixteen people are discovered in a sealed trailer on a ferry sailing from Cherbourg in France to Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland (Photo: telegraph.co.uk)

The 16 men were found during a routine inspection on board the ferry, a spokesman for the vessel’s Swedish operator, Stena Line, said. The men were taken to a private lounge where they received immediate medical care. Police are examining the trailer, which they said is owned by an Irish company. The owners and the driver, a male in his 50s who has been a resident of Ireland for over 25 years, are co-operating fully with the investigation.