Boat carrying 34 migrants intercepted by Border Force officials off coast of Dover

A boat carrying 34 migrants has been intercepted by Border Force officials off the coast of Dover.

Two Border Force cutters and a coastal patrol vessel were alerted at around 6.30am to the boat travelling acrosss the English Channel.

A spokesman for the Home Office said the boat - which was carrying 34 people including men, women and children - was intercepted and the group were brought to Dover.

They have now been transferred to immigration officials for an interview, the spokesman added.

Three men were also arrested by Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) officers on suspicion of immigration offences.

Britain has experienced a sharp rise in the number of migrants trying to enter the UK in recent months, with at least 221 trying to cross the Channel since November last year.

Responding to the migrants being picked up off the Kent coast on Monday, Dove and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke said urgent measures are needed to tackle the sharp rise.

"We urgently need round the clock air surveillance along the French coast to catch the traffickers before they set off," he wrote on Twitter.

"It is vital to stop people trying to cross the English Channel in small craft before there is a tragedy."

A Home Office spokesman said that since Home Secretary Sajid Javid declared a major incident in December "we have tripled the number of cutters operating in the Channel."

He also said the Home Office have agreed a joint action plan with France and increased activity out of the Joint Coordination and Information Centre in Calais.

"The number of individuals attempting to cross the Channel decreased from around 250 in December to around 90 in January, with roughly half of the January attempts being intercepted by partners in France before they could make it to British waters,” the spokesman added.

A Coastguard spokeswoman said earlier this afternoon: "We are currently assisting Border Force with an incident off the Kent coast.

"HM Coastguard is committed to safeguarding life around the seas and coastal areas of this country.

"We are only concerned with preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities."