Devon and Cornwall Police have moved to correct misinformation about an incident in Cullompton that led to inaccurate claims being shared on social media.
The force said it received a call at 12.44pm on July 30 reporting a non-English speaking female in distress.
Officers attended the location, and the female was arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of immigration offences.
The force said immigration are now leading an investigation into how the female came to be in the UK.
Inspector Mark Arthurs, who leads policing teams in Cullompton, said: “We have been made aware of a social media post circulating which describes a number of males exiting a lorry near Cullompton and a female seen in distress being taken by police to a hotel.
“We would like to reassure the public that this does not reflect the information given to the police or the actions taken.
“Witnesses have been spoken to by officers and have stated that no vehicle was seen by them and no other persons were seen in the area running from a vehicle or otherwise.”
Anyone who has any information about this incident and is yet to speak with police, is asked to call 101 or fill in a form on the Devon & Cornwall Police website quoting log 0384 of 30/07/26.
Police Clarify Cullompton Lorry Rumour After Social Media Post