ALL but two of the 14 refugees who illegally entered the North-East last month have left the area.

The stowaways, including eight Turkish nationals of Kurdish origin, five Albanians and an Iranian, arrived at Teesport on a P&O North Sea Ferries freight vessel.

The Iranian was immediately sent back to Zeebrugge, Belgium, where the vessel had come from. The others, including a pregnant woman and two 17-year-olds, applied for asylum.

The adults have gone to live with relatives in other parts of the country, while the teenagers remain in the care of Redcar and Cleveland social services.

James Kyle, a support worker for the North of England Refugees Service, said a lot of refugees had relatives in Britain, and they could stay with them, receiving living expenses vouchers, instead of accommodation.