French police face human rights probe for popping inflatable migrant boat - while it was still on the beach

French police are facing a human rights probe for popping an inflatable migrant boat before it set sail for Britain.

Footage of the incident was circulated across social media, which appeared to show an officer using a knife to slash a rubber dinghy packed with migrants on a Calais beach.

The small boat subsequently deflated, leaving its passengers to step back onto the sand at Oye-Plage.

The standoff is believed to have occurred on Sunday morning, with no injuries reported during the incident.

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However, France-based migrant charity Utopia 56 has claimed the intervention from police was illegal and endangered the lives of those on board.

Under current French guidelines, officers can stop boats leaving the beach by puncturing them, but are not allowed to wade out unless the migrants call for help.

Utopia 56 have since reported the incident to France's human rights watchdog, Defender of Rights.

The non-profit activist organisation has also filed a complaint to the IGGN National Gendarmerie Inspectorate.

On social media, the group claimed the video had been recorded by one of their activists.

They wrote: "You can see policemen lacing a boat already in the water, while people are on board.

"This is an extremely dangerous practice for passengers, but it has been used regularly for several years, as evidenced by the people we meet on the coast."

Meanwhile, the Pas-de-Calais Gendarmerie has defended the actions of the officers, insisting they had behaved “entirely within the law”.

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A spokesman said: “It wasn’t a boat in the water - it had run aground and suffered a flotation failure.

“Officers neutralised the boat to prevent it from returning to sea and thus avoid further endangering the migrants’ lives during the crossing.”

Utopia 56 was formed during the "Calais jungle" crisis in 2015 and describes itself as a group designed to "help people who are victims of homelessness and border policies, and has been campaigning to defend rights, equality and human dignity".

French authorities have previously come under fire over their efforts in stopping small boats from sailing to Britain.

According to data released earlier this year, more than 41,000 people successfully made it across the Channel by small boat last year, while only 22,476 attempted crossings were stopped - equating to a prevention rate of just 35 per cent.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp delivered a scathing verdict on their efforts, branding them "pathetic".

Last month, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a new three-year deal with France - worth an estimated £660million - as part of Labour's bid to reduce the number of crossings.

Under the agreement, £500million will be invested to boost enforcement action on beaches in Northern France and a conditional £160million more will be invested based on the success of new tactics.

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