A Border Force search for suspected migrants has been launched after an empty dinghy and lifejackets were found in close proximity.

The empty rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) was seen floating a few miles from the coast of Walmer, Kent just after 7am on Sunday morning.

The lifejackets were reportedly spotted just over eight miles away near Shakespeare Beach in Dover.

METRO GRAB from @wendybaker14 Twitter https://twitter.com/wendybaker14/status/1099597564326875138 Border force investigate empty boat seen off coast of Dover Credit: @wendybaker14/Twitter
A witness took a picture of the suspected empty boat seen off coast of Dover (Picture: @wendybaker14/Twitter)

Four RNLI lifeboats were launched and a HM Coastguard helicopter scrambled. The search was called off in the early hours of Sunday afternoon, Sky News reports.

The investigation is focusing on whether the dinghy and lifejackets are related to the same incident.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said an earlier report of a migrant being spotted entering Walmer lifeboat station was not correct.

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Border Force is currently dealing with an ongoing small boat incident off the Kent coast.

‘Further details will be provided once the situation has been resolved.’

Previously unreleased picture dated 10/02/14 of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat, The Morrell, during sea trials off Poole, Dorset as it is due to arrive at the Dungeness lifeboat station in Kent today.
The RNLI dismissed reports a migrant had walked into a lifeboat station (Picture:PA Archive)
Previously unreleased photo dated 21/07/16 of HMC Vigilant, a UK Border Agency cutter on the water near to Southsea, Hampshire, as a Commons committee warned that Britain's Border Force has a "worryingly low" number of boats for patrolling the coast - despite being given a key role in heightened security arrangements.
Border Force launched a search after the dinghy was found (Picture: PA Archive)

HM Coastguard confirmed it was assisting Border Force in the search off Walmer.

It comes after 34 migrants were brought into Dover by Border Force agents after they were spotted in the English Channel on February 13.

Up to 91 people have undertaken the perilous 21-mile journey from France to Britain since January 1 this year.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid declared the surge in migrants arriving on British coasts as a ‘major incident’ over Christmas.

Got a story for Metro.co.uk?

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.