Nine migrants had to be rescued from a sinking boat.

The engine of the motorboat, with six men, a woman and two children, was also failing.

The French maritime authority préfecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord said that it had been alerted at 5.21am (4.21am GMT).

The vessel had been seen 1.8km ( 1.11 miles) off cap Gris-Nez between Calais and Boulogne-sur-mer.

Boulogne-sur-Mer maritime police reported that the boat had started taking in water.

They picked up the migrants, transferred them to a surveillance boat and took them to Boulogne.

On landing they were taken in by border police, at 8.15am (7.15am GMT).

The news comes the day after a total 41 migrants in four small boats, one a kayak, were picked up by British authorities as they headed for the UK.

And the Home Office have also today announce that 11 migrants in another boatload were stopped at about 4.30am today on the British side of the English Channel.

A Border Force cutter intercepted the vessel and took the group on board.

Eight men, one woman and two children presented themselves as Iraqi and Iranian.

They were taken to Dover, found to be well after medical checks and passed to immigration officials for interview.

Read more: All the latest news from Kent