Vietnamese boy found stowed inside a suitcase at the Port of Dover

Police have charged a man with attempted smuggling after a Vietnamese boy was found in a suitcase in the boot of a car.

The boy, believed to the 16, was taken to hospital after UK Border Force officials made the discovery at around 8.30pm on Wednesday at the Port of Dover, Kent Police said.

His condition was initially described as life-threatening but he has since improved, according to the force.

The suitcase was found in the boot of a silver Skoda Octavia when it was searched after arriving in the UK from France.

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised that Andrei Iancu, 20, of Buzau in Romania, can be charged with attempting to smuggle a person into the UK, police said.

He is in custody and due to appear before Medway Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Additional reporting by the Press Association