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Rescuers are searching for a person trying to swim from Dover to Calais unaccompanied.
Emergency services have been scouring the sea off Kent after receiving a call shortly after 12pm from a member of the public who said his friend was trying to cross into France.
A helicopter and rescue teams are searching for the swimmer and the incident is not believed to be related to migrant crossings, according to the PA news agency.
The 27-mile stretch between Dover and Calais can be dangerous and has some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
The air temperature in Dover on Monday afternoon was around 17 ° C (62.6 ° F) and the wind speed was up to 10 mph, according to the Met Office.
A Coast Guard spokesman said: “Around 12:10 pm today, HM Coastguard received a call from a member of the public with information that his friend was swimming unaccompanied to Calais from Dover.
“Coast Guard rescue teams from Deal and Langdon, an RNLI lifeboat from Dover and a Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter from Lydd have been dispatched.
“Vessels in the area have been asked to be vigilant and the Kent Police, the Port of Dover Police and the Port of Dover have been informed.”
The search continues.
