Eighteen migrants heading towards UK intercepted off Kent coast

Border Force officials have intercepted boats carrying 18 migrants near the Kent coast in the English Channel.

A cutter stopped the first small boat about four miles south east of Folkestone.

It was heading towards the UK at around 4am on Thursday, the Home Office said.

Officers were also alerted to the boat as it passed near the Port of Dover, Kent Police said.

The five men found on board were taken to Dover and handed to immigration officers. Their nationality has not been confirmed.

An hour later, the cutter found a second boat with 13 people on board two miles south of Folkestone.

Officials found men, women and children on board - their nationality has not been confirmed.

The Home Office was unable to confirm how many were children.

The discovery comes just a day after 14 migrants, including two children, were also found off the south coast and said they were from Iran and Iraq.