A man from the Sudan who is believed to have travelled to the the UK from Calais while clinging to the bottom of a lorry has died after falling beneath the vehicle's wheels.
Police are appealing for witnesses to the fatal fail-to-stop traffic collision that took place at 7pm on Friday between junctions 24 and 25 of the M25.
Two men from Sudan are believed to have climbed underneath a foreign HGV in the French port of Calais at around 11am and wedged themselves into position, Scotland Yard said.
The vehicle they were concealed beneath boarded the Eurostar and arrived in England about 40 minutes later.
The vehicle travelled toward London and joined the M25. At approximately 7pm the two men, still clinging to the underside of the HGV, had become extremely cold and decided to leave the lorry.
While the HGV was stationary in lane one of the motorway, one of the men worked himself free and clambered down the nearby grass verge.
Police said the second man attempted to do the same, but the lorry began to move off and he is believed to have fallen beneath the rear wheels of the lorry suffering fatal injuries.
A member of the public stopped his vehicle and pulled the injured man to the edge of the carriageway. He then drove off. A second member of the public stopped his vehicle and offered assistance.
London’s Air Ambulance attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Traffic on the M25 and surrounding routes suffered major delays due to a road closure.
Officers are appealing to anyone who saw the incident to come forward.
Anyone with information should contact the Roads and Transport Policing Command witness line on 0208 991 9555 or dial 101 and ask for Alperton Traffic Garage.
PA