At least three people have died attempting to cross the Channel in small boats, French authorities have confirmed.

A large-scale rescue operation off the coast of Sangatte, near Calais, began early on Sunday after reports around 50 people had struggled to board a boat.

The French official department responsible for the Channel and the North Sea confirmed three people had died and 45 others had been rescued, with four being taken to hospital with hypothermia.

The deaths, which occurred in French waters, are the first in the Channel since October and bring the total number of people who have died attempting the crossing this year to at least 53.

A UK government spokesperson said: “We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters.

“French authorities are leading the response and investigation.

“We will not be commenting further at this stage.”

The incident follows four days of crossings that saw a total of 1,485 people make the journey – the busiest Christmas period since records began in 2018.

Figures published on Sunday showed 322 people crossed the Channel in six boats on Saturday, while more people were seen arriving in Dover on Sunday.

Some 36,525 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats so far this year, up 24 per cent in 2023 but down 20 per cent in the record year of 2022.

The Christmas period has also seen the total number of people arriving in the UK in small boats since 2018 pass 150,000.

Since records began on January 1 2018, some 150,870 people have made the journey from France, according to analysis of official figures by the PA news agency.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to cut small boat crossings by “smashing the gangs” responsible for them, including through greater cooperation with international law enforcement and establishing a beefed-up border security command in the UK.

Since the general election in July, 22,951 people have made the journey, up 27 per cent on the same period last year but down 30 per cent in 2022.

(PA Media/dpa/NAN)