Father-of-four finds 12-strong colony of illegal immigrants living in his LOFT

A family moved into their new home only to discover 12 illegal immigrants living in the roof.

Lee Bradley was inspecting the loft of his rented terraced house when he made the shock discovery.

Under the roof, a colony of Kosovan migrants had knocked down the wall between his house and the two adjoining properties to create living space for several families.

They had even brought in several deck chairs and a cupboard and the floor was littered with children's toys.

Mr Bradley, 33, found them eating sandwiches.

The migrants  -  including a baby  -  had also managed to install a light in the roof and there were several boxes containing their belongings.

Mr Bradley, a father-of-four, called the police but within 20 minutes the immigrants had fled the property in West Bromwich.

Mr Bradley, who had just moved in with his wife Caroline, 32, and their children, told The Sun: 'I decided to look in the loft space and popped my head through the hatch.

'There was a light dangling from the roof and about a dozen people  -  men, women and a baby who started to cry when she saw me.

'They were eating sandwiches and just stared back at me. I was scared and shut the hatch straight away.

'The police were here within 20 minutes but the people had gone. They'd taken their mattresses and bedding but left behind a table, chairs and toys.

'The police think they're illegal Kosovan immigrants but God knows where they are now  -  they just vanished.'

At first his wife thought he was joking when he came downstairs with news of his discovery.

Mrs Bradley added: 'Lee came in ashen-faced and said 'There are a lot of people living in the loft.

'I thought it was a wind up. But it scared me to death to think we moved in with them up there.'

The previous tenant, Shirley Graham, had heard various noises but had not realised there was a family living above her.

She said: 'I'd heard babies crying but found it strange because there weren't any babies in the terrace.

'Now I realise it was coming from the loft. It's terrifying to think those people were up there right over my bedroom ceiling.'

Police believe the immigrants had gained access to the roof through an adjoining house that had been sublet and was temporarily empty.

The immigration authorities have since been informed and officers are contacting the residents of the adjoining properties.

In the 1990s thousands of Kosovan refugees came to Britain, fleeing the conflict in their own country which took place amid the wider Balkan wars.