This is the moment police cracked open a locked car roof box at a service station and discovered a man inside.

A British family were returning from a trip abroad and had stopped in Calais. At least a day later, a man was found inside the storage box while they were parked up off the M25.

The family popped into South Mimms service station on February 23 prompting the man to "bang and shout" until worried onlookers called the police.

Borehamwood Times:

Firefighters were then called to crowbar open the locked storage box, and were shocked to find a man inside among the luggage of the unsuspecting family.

Onlookers said he told rescuers he had "been in there for days".

Video shows emergency workers breaking into the storage box on top of the car, finding the man surrounded by luggage, and the man jumping to safety.

Borehamwood Times:

An onlooker said: "Everyone could hear this knocking and screaming coming from an unmanned vehicle in the car park.

"A bunch of people attempted to open the luggage roof rack but failed.

"People were shouting 'it’s OK we’ll get you out' and then the police were called but they failed to open the roof compartment as well and called the fire service.

"A man was freed, covering his eyes because of the bright daylight, and he was overheard saying he had been in there for days.

"The family returned to their car - a man with his wife and two children - and were totally oblivious as to what was happening."

Borehamwood Times:

A man can be seen getting out of the roof box. Credit: SWNS

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Constabulary said: "We were called about this on February 23 at around 11am.

"A member of the public arrived at South Mimms and heard someone banging and shouting and believed it was coming from the boot of a car parked nearby.

"Officers arrived and forced entry to the vehicle and found a man in a box secured to the luggage rack on top of the car."

A man has been arrested on suspicion of entering the UK illegally and the case has been passed to UK Border Force.