TWENTY Iraqis burst out of WHEELIE BINS after hiding in them to sneak into Britain.

Fiasco ... minister Liam Byrne

The illegal immigrants scarpered in every direction as a lorry delivered the new bins to a council.

Five were arrested as police raced to the scene after shocked bystanders battled in vain to catch them 35 miles from the Channel Tunnel.

Last night the rest were still on the run.

The illegals all male aged 16 to 20 spent three hours squashed in the bins after the truck from Spain stopped to pick up its cargo in France.

Amazed staff at a bus depot spotted them smashing their way through the lorrys ROOF as it pulled up outside council offices in Maidstone, Kent.

A source said yesterday: About 20 men burst out of the truck as it came to a stop.

They didnt come out the back they punched their way through the roof and started running off in all directions.

They had been hiding inside the wheelie bins for the whole journey.

Staff at the bus depot rang the police and tried to hold one of them until officers arrived. But he was struggling violently and they couldnt keep hold. It was shocking.

Frightened

The source added: The bus staff were obviously frightened for their own safety.

The five arrested were found lurking in a nearby street.

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said: They were swiftly and successfully transferred to our specialist teams of officers within hours.

Three were aged 20 and two aged 16.

One of the older illegals is due to appear before magistrates.

One 16-year-old was released without charge.

A spokesman for Migration Watch UK said of the bins scam: Anyone who tries this should be automatically refused asylum.

Maidstone Borough Council confirmed the lorry left Spain last week and picked up the wheelie bins before heading through the Chunnel.