Young children wrapped in blankets and wearing woolly hats were carried to safety as more people arrived in Kent after crossing the English Channel.

A large group of people, some seen carrying their belongings in plastic bags, were guided along Dungeness beach by officials on Thursday to be processed after being brought ashore.

Crossings have continued throughout the week amid warmer weather and calm seas, with 59 people arriving on Wednesday on three boats.

Some 405 people made the crossing to the UK on Tuesday last week, in what is thought to have been the highest daily total so far in 2022.

Since the start of the year, more than 3,200 people have reached the UK after navigating busy shipping lanes from France in small boats, according to data compiled by the PA news agency.

That is more than three times the amount recorded this time last year.