The National Crime Agency has identified a handful of factories in Shandong province as a major source of boats landing on the south coast, reports The Sun.

The craft is being sold on Chinese online marketplace Alibaba.com for as little as £200, the newspaper reported.

The website says dinghies can be shipped anywhere in the world within a week — amid fears 2023 migrant crossings will hit 80,000.

It boasts small PVC dinghies for £200, 7.5ft fibreglass vessels for £700 to £900 and 25ft inflatable ribs for around £10,000, the newspaper reported.

An NCA source told The Sun: “There’s an ecosystem with companies providing the bulk of the boats and advertising them online.”