The number of migrants crossing the English Channel into Kent has been "blown out of proportion", MPs have been told.

Charities have played down the increase in the number of migrants trying to cross the Channel, despite scores of small boats landing or being picked up in Kent with groups of mainly adults.

Charity leaders appeared before the Home Affairs select committee where they were questioned over the apparent rise, which has seen 335 people attempt to cross since November.

It comes after Home Secretary Sajid Javid declared the number of migrants making the dangerous crossing from France to England a "major incident" in December.

He announced this week more boats would be brought in to tackle the problem.

Maddy Allen of Help for Refugees told the committee: "It's been massively blown out of proportion."

Gillingham and Rainham MP Rehman Chishti asked why there had been an increase and the impact of government’s action to step up patrols.

He said: “The number of boats coming in has significantly increased; with the government taking more enforcement action and putting in more cutters and arerial surveillance, will that act as a real deterrent to individuals coming into the UK?”

Ms Allen said: “I would not say the search and rescue operations and the extra boats are a deterrent.”

Anecdotally, there was evidence that some were making multiple efforts to reach the UK, even where they were picked up and returned to France.

But charities admitted there had been an increase in Iranians gathering at Calais in recent months.

The increase in channel crossings was inevitable given the conditions there, said Ms Alen.

“There has been a spike in Iranians at Calais but it remains diverse,” she said.