Belgian police have stopped more than 600 illegal immigrants trying to enter UK ports, including Ramsgate, in the last six months.

Officials say that 632 people were intercepted after hiding in vehicles leaving the country through Ostend.

Transeuropa Ferries operates a regular ferry service between Ramsgate and Ostend, and ferries also run between the Belgian port and Dartford, Harwich in Essex and Killingholme in North Lincolnshire.

Provisional figures from the UK Border Agency (UKBA)- which was created in April this year - responsible for securing the country’s borders and controlling migration, reveal that a further 101 immigrants were discovered at British ports attempting to enter the country illegally from Ostend.

A spokesperson for the UKBA said: “The creation of this agency has further strengthened our border by enabling customs and immigration staff to work more effectively and efficiently alongside one another as a single team protecting our borders.”