51�Թ�

French police have waded into shallow waters off a beach south of Boulogne and used knives to slash an inflatable small boat - packed with men, women and children - that was wallowing, dangerously, in the waves.

While some of these taxi boat launches – designed to exploit the French police's unwillingness to intervene at sea – take place close to the main migrant departure areas around Calais and Boulogne, some boats are now setting off from much further away.

He anticipated that it would arrive here around noon and start trying to pick up passengers near Boulogne.

It was seized in the English Channel and is being held at the port of Boulogne, unable to leave while the French authorities consider bringing a prosecution.

The fishing vessel was diverted to Boulogne "for the purpose of initiating prosecution".