Record 128 people cross Channel in one small boat

A small boat crossed the English Channel on Friday carrying 128 people, the largest-ever recorded number to make the journey in a single vessel.

The boat made the journey on Friday, when a total of 225 migrants crossed the Channel on three boats.

More than 12,000 people have reached the UK in small boats so far this year, a fall of 44% on the same period last year.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Smuggling gangs are taking greater risks than ever, with the number of people they are cramming into unseaworthy boats rising year on year."

The previous record for the number of migrants in one vessel was 125.

The Home Office said: "This crossing serves as a stark reminder that criminal gangs have no regard for the safety of those they claim to help, the reality is clear and lives are being lost in the Channel as a result.

"This is exactly why we have signed a new deal with the French to prevent these perilous journeys by boosting enforcement action on beaches, building on the over 45,000 attempted crossings stopped since the election."

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