An inventor plans to wizz across the Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard this morning.

Franky Zapata hopes to go from the beach at Sangatte, near Calais, to St Margaret's Bay in 20 minutes.

He is doing it to coincide with the 110th anniversary of the first cross-Channel flight by Louis Bleriot.

The 40-year-old Frenchman, a former JetSki champion, will travel on a Flyboard Air which he invented himself.

It is understood he will set off from this morning, weather and maritime traffic permitting.

Mr Zapata had already used a Flyboard during the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris on July 14, the French national day.

According to reports the Flyboard only has a flight time of 10 minutes.

So he will refuel midway, either by landing on a ship or hovering above it, the latter meaning he could claim a continuous flight.

Mr Zapata told the French newspaper Le Parisien: "I used 3% of the machine's capabilities while for the Channel I will need 99.9%.

"This will not be easy."

Other media reports say that Mr Zapata has permission for the venture from civil authorities but not maritime ones.

He plans to get around that by flying 70 metres (230ft) above the sea on the French side of the English Channel and 10 metres (33ft) on the British side.

Mr Zapata is the founder of the company Zapata, which develops and makes hydro and jet-powered products to both travel in air and go over water.

These are tailored for the he recreation, entertainment, military, medical, and industrial sectors.

For more details on the inventor visit website zapata.com

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