Migrant dies in Channel after scuffle erupts aboard boat bound for Britain

Police were called out over reports of a migrant vessel "in distress", with 30 on board the dinghy as another 40 waited to board.

Upon arriving at the scene, the gendarmes found an adult male in the water who suffered cardiac arrest.

Another man, a 29-year-old, who displayed symptoms of hypothermia, was also treated by emergency services.

The man was later taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer hospital but did not require extensive medical intervention, French authorities said.

Yesterday, French police confirmed a man was discovered dead on a beach in northern France.

A statement from the Pas-de-Calais prefecture spokesman said: "The lifeless body of a man, who appeared to be of African origin, was discovered this morning on the Neufchatel-Hardelot beach.

"An investigation has been launched by the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor’s office."

The assessment is set to understand if the death was connected to a bid to cross into Britain’s borders illegally.

Today’s death in the Channel has come on the worst day for illegal crossings since Andy Burnham entered No10 mid-July.

Officials have revealed more than 780 illegal migrants arrived in the UK today alone.

As a result, the influx of arrivals by small boat this year now stands at 18,565, provisional figures from the Home Office reveal.

This morning, Lucy Powell was grilled by GB News over whether she could "reassure viewers" that small boat migrants who entered the UK illegally this week had been detained.

Ms Powell responded: "Look, the Home Secretary has rightly demanded answers to this, and she’s ordered a quick and robust review of what happened here.

"Small boat crossings remain a challenge, but we have seen a significant fall this year in the number of people coming across on small boats, thanks to the range of measures that this Government has brought into effect."

"I’m not the Home Secretary, but you can be sure that all action is being taken and people are detained," she reiterated.

Following the latest surge, Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, hit out at the number of illegal crossings so far this year.

He said: "Labour has let an entire Army-sized population cross the Channel illegally.

"More people have arrived in small boats than we have soldiers defending Britain. That is completely bonkers. Labour has lost control of our borders and seems utterly incapable of getting it back.

"The Conservative plan is to end hotels and benefits for illegal immigrants and instead deport them."