Child is 'trampled to death' as several die in Channel tragedies

Three found dead at bottom of boat

A TODDLER was crushed underfoot on an overcrowded boat in the English Channel yesterday.

The two-year-old was among four migrants to die in two separate incidents. French interior minister Bruno Retailleau said the youngster had been "trampled to death".

Later reports said three people died off the coast of Calais in a dinghy packed with 83 passengers amid "panic" over engine failures.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said last night: "It is appalling more lives have been lost in the Channel, including a young child, as criminal smuggler gangs continue to organise these dangerous boat crossings.