Police have deployed a new £350,000 boat in Devon and Cornwall as they brace for a surge in illegal migrants.
The Home Office hopes the vessel will act as a deterrent to organised crime groups and allow officials to intercept and board vessels when dealing with high-level threats.
It comes as the number of arrivals on small boats passed 34,000 this year so far - a record since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018.
James Vaughan, chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, said he thought the boat would act as a 'phenomenal deterrent'.
The vessel, named Neptune, is equipped with state-of-the-art marine electronics, including a long-range infrared camera and an underwater drone, that can search in more tricky conditions.
