A second man has been arrested on suspicion of people smuggling offences in Folkestone on Christmas Day.

The arrest comes as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into an attempt to reach the UK by small boat on December 25 2018.

The 25-year-old man was arrested in the Bradford area of West Yorkshire this morning and is now being interviewed by NCA investigators.

It follows the arrest of a 37-year-old man in north west London on the evening of Wednesday, January 30. He was questioned by the NCA and released under investigation.

The probe follows the arrival of a small boat carrying a number of migrants into Folkestone on the national holiday.

There had been a total five migrant incidents on December 25, involving a total 40 people.

Some had landed at Folkestone, others were spotted off Deal and the rest were picked up mid-Channel.

Steve Reynolds, head of the NCA-led Invigor organised immigration crime task force, said: "It is clear that there has been a significant element of organised criminality involved in recent attempts to cross the Channel using small boats, and it is something law enforcement both here and in France is working hard to disrupt.

"We are committed to doing everything in our power to bring people smugglers targeting the UK to justice, whether they are operating in the UK itself or France."

Invigor is the UK’s Organised Immigration Crime Taskforce set up to target the criminal networks behind people smuggling impacting on the UK and the European borders.

It is led by the NCA and includes Immigration Enforcement, Crown Prosecution Service, Border Force and the Home Office working in the UK and internationally.