Thirty-six suspected migrants have been intercepted by Border Force off Dover - the largest number this year, as authorities say that warm weather and the bank holiday could have been behind the spike in traffic.

In the last month, nearly a dozen boats reached UK waters, carrying a total of 92 people. Most have presented themselves as Iranian and Iraqi, and while the majority are men, a handful of women and young children have also been rescued.

On Easter Monday, three small boats were intercepted within the space of a few hours.

In the first incident, a Border Force cutter was scrambled to meet a small boat with a group of 11 men on board, who said they were Iranian and Iraqi.

They were taken on to the Border Force vessel and transferred to immigration officials for interview after undergoing a medical assessment.