Eight migrants who stowed away on a Lifecycle truck on its way from Morocco to Malta were discovered by Moroccan police during an inspection before the Lifecycle group was due to board a ferry to Spain this evening, a spokesman for the group confirmed.

Karen Zammit explained that following the end of the HSBC Lifecycle challenge yesterday, the support team started its journey back to Malta on three campers and a closed truck carrying equipment.

She said the three campers were allowed through by the border police without problem, but the team was shocked when the police found the eight migrants hidden away in the truck. The migrants tried to run away but were quickly captured by the police.

“The drivers were very shocked. The migrants must have boarded the truck when they stopped for some refreshment at a petrol station”, Ms Zammit said. It was only when the migrants were discovered that the driver noticed that the back door of the truck had been broken.

She said the Moroccan police briefly took away the passports of Audrick Plum and Mark Zammit, who were driving the truck.She said, however, that the police were courteous.

“The situation was resolved thanks to the immense help of Olaf Terribile, the director of protocol at the Malta Foreign Ministry” Ms Zammit said.

The team is now expected to board the ferry for Spain tonight.

The Lifecycle team cycled all the away from Lourdes to Casablanca to raise funds for the Renal Unit at Mater Dei Hospital.

The convoy is due back in Malta on Sunday.

The drivers and assistants on the truck and campers are Audrick Plum, Mark Zammit, Lawrence Bellizi, Fr Pierre Grech Marguerat, James Cutajar and Mario Scerri.