A BBC film crew investigating people-smuggling gangs preparing "mega-dinghies" for Channel crossings was attacked with stones in Calais, leaving cameraman Pol needing stitches after being struck above the eye. The crew had agreed to stop filming when confronted by a group of angry smugglers, but one man reportedly tried to seize their equipment before throwing rocks at close range, forcing the journalists to flee to their car. The incident highlights the increasingly volatile and dangerous conditions facing reporters covering the Channel crossings crisis.

The attack comes amid reports that smuggling gangs, said to be running low on small boats, are shifting towards fewer but much larger dinghies, packing in more migrants per vessel. Last month a record 230 people crossed the Channel in a single boat, surpassing July's previous record of 165 and prompting criticism of both British politicians and French police. Sources told the BBC that gangs are now charging up to €2,000 (£1,700) per person, up from around €1,300 a year ago, with a former borders inspector warning that overloaded "mega-dinghies" pose a heightened risk of drowning and crushing, even as overall Channel crossings have fallen to a six-year low this summer.