A leading contender in the French presidential race says border controls should move back to Kent from Calais.

Alain Juppe, regarded as one of the favourites in the race to be the next French president, says that he would look to scrap the Le Touquet agreement that permits UK border officials to carry out checks in Calais.

He is the latest candidate to set out his opposition to the current arrangements as the Calais camp has become a key election issue.

“We can’t tolerate what is going on in Calais, the image is disastrous for our country and there are also extremely serious economic and security consequences for the people of Calais,” Juppé said in an interview in Paris with the Guardian.

“So the first thing is to denounce the Le Touquet accords.

"We cannot accept making the selection on French territory of people that Britain does or doesn’t want. It’s up to Britain to do that job.”

Asked whether the border should be pushed back to the English coast, he replied: “Of course. Don’t tell me that it’s difficult because the British don’t want it.”

His remarks come as the French authorities begin the process of dismantling the Calais camp which is estimated to hold between 9,000 and 10,000 migrants.

Those in the camp will be dispersed to other areas of France but charities and support groups claim the authorities are acting too quickly.

The prospect of the French government ending the border agreement has previously been rejected by Kent MPs.

South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay said: "This is another episode of political sabre rattling.

"The reality is that Le Touquet arrangement was set up at the insistence of the French authorities who would have risked £2,000 fines for any migrant that ended up in the UK by
boarding trains."

Dover MP Charlie Elphicke said in the summer that the arrangement should continue.

“During the EU Referendum campaign there was much concern that France might axe the Le Touquet Treaty - that our border might move back from Calais to Dover.

"Yet events have shown that this treaty and our close co-operation works for both our countries.”