The number of Channel crossings by people in small boats so far this month is now higher than the number for June last year, figures show.

Some 312 people were detected making the crossing on Thursday, the Home Office said.

It brings the cumulative number for the month to 3,303: higher than the 3,140 recorded across all of June 2022.

Total arrivals in 2023 now stands at a provisional figure of 10,913.

Some 45,755 people were detected making the crossing during 2022.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has named stopping crossings by small boats one of his five priorities for the year, along with cutting NHS waiting lists, growing the economy, halving inflation and reducing the national debt.

Eight boats were detected on Thursday, which suggests an average of around 39 people crossed the Channel per boat.

The total number of arrivals so far this year remains below the equivalent number at this point last year.

Just over 11,800 people had made the crossing by June 22 2022 – nearly 1,000 higher than the 10,913 detected so far in 2023.