Three men arrested after eight suspected illegal migrants were found on a beach in Dover have been released under investigation.

Border Force officers descended on Samphire Hoe beach, near Dover at around 8am this morning following a report of migrants on the beach.

A boat was recovered in Lower Sandgate Road, Folkestone a short while after the migrants were spotted on the beach.

The migrants are being dealt with by the immigration authorities.

The National Crime Agency is leading the investigation, along with Kent Police, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force, and arrested three UK nationals on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration.

The trio, aged 39, 40 and 40 and from the South Wales area, were arrested following the recovery of a boat yesterday in Folkestone. They were questioned by NCA investigators last night before being released.

NCA officers are also examining a second inflatable boat found near where the migrants were recovered at Samphire Hoe, Dover.

Read more: All the latest news from Dover