France has accused the UK of failing to pay more than £8 million it promised to fund beach patrols as a new diplomatic spat broke out after a record 1,295 migrants crossed the Channel in a single day.
The local authority in France that covers Calais said officers had intercepted 390 further crossings, but this accounted for less than a quarter of the total 1,685 people who attempted crossings on Monday.
About 800 patrols are deployed daily to combat illegal immigration in northern France, but the authorities say the numbers are “insufficient” to patrol the entire 100-mile stretch of coast used by smugglers. Senior Home Office sources said all payments had been made.
Migrants are said to be arriving on French beaches in “a flash-mob manner” to overwhelm police patrols
DENIS CHARLET/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
The 27 boats that reached the UK are believed to have crossed
