A MIDDLE lane-hogging M6 motorist was stopped by police who found around £15,000 of suspected criminal cash in his vehicle.

The driver, a man aged in his 40s, was travelling south in a Kia Sportage at around 2.20pm on Wednesday this week ( April 17).

He was spotted by a police constable close to Junction 40, on the outskirts of Penrith.

“The officer stopped the vehicle as it was driving in lane two. The motorway was pretty quiet,” a detective told Carlisle Magistrates’ Court.

“While he stopped the vehicle he noticed that the driver was fidgeting and taking a while to pull over.

After stopping, the driver identified himself, said he lived in County Durham and had been to see a friend he was unable to name.

“He appeared nervous,” said the detective.

“The police officer made a decision to search the vehicle. He located two plastic carrier bags containing a large quantity of cash, estimated to be around £15,000.

“The driver stated the case had been earned from his work as a grounds work person.

“The officer made checks and established the driver was an illegal immigrant. He was arrested on suspicion of illegal entry to the UK.”

Magistrates heard the man — who had an address in the Shotton Colliery area — had been collected from custody by immigration service personnel and was being transported to a detention centre.

The majority of the seized money comprised Scottish notes.

And the detective said there were reasonable grounds to suspect the cash was recoverable property or intended for use in unlawful conduct.

As such, police were seeking detention of the full sum to conduct financial and immigration checks to determine its origin.

Magistrates approved the application and granted the detective six months to conduct full enquiries.