A candle lit vigil will be held on Dover seafront tonight to honour the lives of the Iranian-Kurdish family who died in the Channel.

The socially distanced gathering has been organised by Kent Refugee Action Network and will take place at 5pm by the memorial plaques, situated between the Premier Inn and the Eastern Docks.

A number of organisations are expected to attend and will use the event to make a call for safer routes.

People are encouraged to take candles, flowers and signs if they wish.

It comes after a boy and a girl, reportedly aged six and nine, perished in the sea off Dunkirk after a flimsy boat they were travelling in capsized, on Tuesday.

Named as Armin and Anita, they were travelling with their parents Rasoul Iran-Nejad, Shiva Mohammad Panahi, both 35.

Their baby, 15-month old Artin is still missing but rescuers are no longer searching the waters.

Ben Bano of Seeking Sanctuary laid floral tributes at a plaque dedicated to asylum seekers who have died in their plight to find sanctuary, on Wednesday.

The former mayor of Deal and councillor for Deal Town Council said: "We are horrified by this latest tragedy and continue to urge that innovative solutions are found for the welfare of the world's exiles and for their safe access to places where they may request asylum so that they don't have to place their lives in the hands of unscrupulous traffickers.

"We need solutions that do not involve more security measures such as patrols, walls and fences, but which see each of them as a human being in need of advice and help and with a genuine contribution to make to society."

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