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French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.

The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.

French police have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.

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

Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.

Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from government.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.

Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.

Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.

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

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