Essex lorry deaths: Lorry driver Eamonn Harrison charged

Image caption, Mr Harrison will next appear at the Old Bailey on 20 August

A lorry driver has been charged with manslaughter after the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants.

Eamonn Harrison, 23, is accused of driving the trailer in which the bodies were found to Zeebrugge, Belgium, before it travelled to Britain.

Mr Harrison, from Mayobridge, County Down, is also charged with conspiracy to traffic people and assist unlawful immigration.

He appeared via video link at Southend Magistrates' Court.

Mr Harrison was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 20 August.

Eight women and 31 men were found in the container in Purfleet, Essex, on 23 October last year.

Police said they died from a lack of oxygen and overheating in an enclosed space.

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, The bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were discovered in a refrigerated trailer