Border Force is urgently responding to a serious incident off the coast of Harwich, Essex.
Rescuers are said to be dealing with an ‘ongoing’ call-out which it is treating as urgent.
The details are not yet clear and the Home Office said that further information won’t be provided until after the initial response and once the situation has been resolved.
The Telegraph reported that the incident involves migrants in trouble at sea, some 30 miles off Harwich.
Unconfirmed sources said the incident was thought to involve a migrant dinghy with possibly two people on board, which had been at sea since leaving the French coast on Monday.
The rescue is being coordinated by HM coastguard, which confirmed it sent a helicopter and a plane to help with a search and rescue mission.
Essex Police said it also supported the response but it was being led by Border Force – the agency tasked with immigration checks and securing the nation’s borders.
The RNLI is understood to have launched a lifeboat from Harwich, then referred inquiries to the Home Office. (Metro)