A record 482 migrants crossed the English Channel on Wednesday, the Home Office has said.

UK authorities dealt with 21 boats, while their French counterparts intercepted another 246 people in eight vessels before they could get to Britain.

The Border Force and RNLI helped bring the migrants ashore.

Sky News witnessed groups being brought ashore at Dungeness and Dover and filmed boats being intercepted at sea. Other small vessels successfully made it ashore.

It beat the previous record set on 19 July, when 430 people made the crossing.

More than 10,000 people have now crossed the Channel on small boats this year, according to data compiled by the PA news agency.

It is more than the whole of 2020 when 8,417 crossed, according to PA. That total was quadruple that of 2019.

The government has said people should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach, such as another EU nation, and not try to get to the UK in often overcrowded and unsafe boats.

Home Secretary Priti Patel recently signed an agreement with France to try to reduce the number of crossings, with the UK pledging a further £54m to support their efforts.

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“These dangerous small boat crossings, facilitated by criminal gangs, are putting lives at risk,” said Dan O’Mahoney, clandestine Channel threat commander.

“These numbers are unacceptable, that’s why we are taking action on all fronts.

“Law enforcement agencies are dismantling the people smuggling gangs.

“Joint work with the French has seen a doubling of police officers on French beaches. And we are reforming the pull factors here at home.”

The government says it has so far secured more than 65 small boat-related prosecutions, totalling over 53 years in jail for people who arrange the crossings.

Wednesday’s record comes after donations to the RNLI surged last week when its chief executive defended the charity rescuing people trying to cross the English Channel.

About £200,000 was donated through its website in one 24-hour period.

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