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French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.

This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.

French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and civilians.

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

Now, a French naval police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.

Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the boats.

This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official left office.

This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.

Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.

Strong winds are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.

The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.

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