Boat migrant crossings for the year climbs above 1,750

Up to 80 more migrants arrived in the UK on Wednesday as the total for the year climbed above 1,750 a day after 230 people made the short boat crossing.

Tuesday's single day total was more than the total stopped throughout the whole month of February - 143 people. 

The first of Tuesday's arrivals - the first migrants attempting to cross the Channel in March - were escorted to the Port of Dover by the RNLI before sunrise, amid heavy fog and rain.

A second group arrived in the UK on board Border Force cutter Searcher after 8am, with more migrants arriving in HMC Hunter a short while later. All were transferred to Border Force at Dover.

A further two groups - which included a toddler and a young child - were accompanied to the port by UK officials before midday via Border Force ship Hurricane and lifeboats.

Later in the afternoon more migrants were brought to shore on board Border Force cutter Searcher, while another group was escorted into the UK by lifeboat shortly afterwards.

The final arrivals of the day came into Dover at around 5pm on Border Force vessel Hurricane - wrapped in coats and woolly hats.

They bring the total for the year so far to above 1,750 migrants.