France bans sale of inflatable dinghies from Channel towns

France has been forced to ban the sale of inflatable dinghies from Channel towns in a bid to try to end a surge in migrant crossings. 

Sports shops dotted around the French coast near the Channel have been told to stop selling the boats and kayaks amid a steady flow of migrants sailing across the waters to the UK. 

But despite the ban, people smugglers are able to get around the restrictions by ordering the inflatable vessels online and getting them delivered to their safe houses. 

The boats and kayaks are then transported by the traffickers to points along the coast where migrants hoping to cross the Channel can pick them up.   

Sports retailer Decathlon's store in Calais showed on their website that boats were not for sale - but the newspaper was able to order a vessel online for £600 and get it home delivered to an address in the coastal city. 

Meanwhile, it is also possible to order an inflatable boat on Amazon to be delivered to addresses in Calais.