A man has been charged with killing 39 Vietnamese immigrants who were found dead in the back of a lorry.

The victims were found in a trailer in the Waterglade Industrial Park, in Grays, on October 23.

Post-mortem examinations found the occupants had been starved of oxygen and died after overheating.

A man extradited from Ireland in connection with Essex Police's investigation into the deaths will appear at Southend Magistrates today.

Ronan Hughes, 40 of Tyholland in County Monaghan, has been charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and one count of facilitating the illegal entry of people into the UK.