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French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.

French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.

French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.

"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."

Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.

Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to disable the engines of the vessels.

This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from office.

This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.

Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.

The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.

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