The Marine Traffic app is an essential download for all those who scan the Dover shoreline for signs of small boats – everyone from officials in the home secretary’s office to self-styled migrant hunters who prowl the Kent coast.
On Tuesday there were no light blue ship icons on the app in the middle of the Channel, which indicate dinghy-related activity from UK Border Force cutters or French navy ships. The sky above the shore was heavy and almost pure white. Snow was forecast, the temperature was barely above zero and the sea was choppy.
