Three men were rescued from inside a refrigerated lorry after they told police in a call that they were suffocating and struggling to breathe.

Cambridgeshire Police said that the vehicle, believed to have travelled from France, was tracked along the A14 and the M11 with the help of Essex Police.

It was found at Brampton Hut services near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, just before 4.30pm on Wednesday, the force said.

The three men were found to be safe and uninjured, and their welfare will be handled by the immigration services, police said.

The driver was not arrested, Cambridgeshire Police said.

A force spokesman said: “Stories like this may be distressing, but highlight that slavery and trafficking are real and police need the public’s help.”

Police have urged people to dial 999 if they see people emerging from a lorry or HGV, if they hear banging from inside a lorry or if they see people entering the back of a lorry.

They said people should be particularly vigilant at service stations or lay-bys, and should raise the alarm if anything about the vehicle doesn’t seem quite right – for example if produce is being thrown from it or something is being done to catch the attention of other motorists.

Anyone who sees any of the above is urged to call police on 999 and to take a note of the vehicle registration number, even if it has foreign plates.