Britain's Border Force has brought in 76 migrants to the Port of Dover after they attempted to cross the Channel.

The officials were alerted to several small boats early this morning, and stopped five before they made landfall.

The incidents occurred over about six hours this morning, between 1.48am and 7.50am.

Of those brought into the harbour, there were 55 men and 21 women, all of whom identified as being from Iraq, Iran, Yemen and Kuwait.

It is understood all the individuals were assessed for any medical requirements, and none were reported.

The Home Office revealed French police have stopped more than 200 migrants from risking their lives by seeking to get to the UK using a small boat since the start of the month.

They also revealed that over 155 people who entered the UK illegally on small boats have been returned to Europe since January 2019.

Minister for immigration compliance and the courts Chris Philp said: “We will not stand by whilst malicious criminals prey on the vulnerable.

“Criminal gangs are using false promises to take advantage of desperate situations and illegally smuggle people into the UK.

“We are determined to stop this criminal trade and stop these crossings.

“We will enforce the law and we will seek justice.

“The Home Secretary and her French counterpart have reaffirmed their joint commitment and dedication to tackling this exploitative crime.

"We will enforce the law and we will seek justice"

“We are continuing to support the French to deploy extra patrols on French beaches, drones, specialist vehicles and detection equipment to stop these boats leaving European shores.

“To the criminals we say this – your heinous crimes will not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring you to justice.”

Read more: All the latest news from Dover