French authorities to begin stopping small boats in Channel after British demands

French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.

The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.

French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.

"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."

Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.

Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to snarl the engines of the vessels.

This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left office.

This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.

Now French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.

UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.

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