Migrant woman dies trying to swim 21-miles across the English Channel to Britain

The body of a female refugee wearing a wetsuit who tried to swim across the Channel to Britain has been found on a beach in northe France.

The illegal immigrant carrying a compass and energy food bars is thought to have drowned and been washed back ashore after attempting the hazardous 21-mile crossing.

The unidentified Asian woman, thought to be in her thirties, also had spare clothes in a plastic pouch and was smeared with vaseline to keep out the cold during the swim through the world's busiest shipping lane.

Grim discovery: The body of an Asian woman migrant who is believed to have attempted to swim across the Channel from France to the UK was discovered on a beach close to Boulogne (file photo)

Police in Calais said her body was found on a beach near the coastal town of Wimereux on Sunday evening.

It is the first time a migrant has tried to swim to the English coast.

An autopsy to determine the woman's cause of death is due to be carried out today.

Boulogne public prosecutor Jean-Philippe Joubert said: 'The body was spotted by a passer-by on Sunday evening.

'She was wearing a wetsuit and still wet. We found clothes in a bag on cliffs above the beach.

'She was prepared for long distance swimming with vaseline on her skin to prevent irritations.

'She also had more clothes in a plastic bag undeeath her wetsuit and a pocket contained energy food bars and a compass.

'Swimming the Channel is a highly dangerous thing to do and is only ever attempted by very experienced swimmers with a support vessel.'

There are thought to be around 1,000 illegal immigrants massed in northe France.

A film released three years ago called Welcome centred on a Kurdish refugee who takes swimming lessons before trying to swim to the Kent coast.

It attracted harsh criticism for presenting the bid to breach border controls as a 'noble quest'.

Echoes of real life: In 2009 a French director made a film called Welcome which told the story of a fictional migrant who tried to swim to Dover and drowned

A Calais police spokesman added: 'It may have been depicted in a fictional film, but this is the first time we have ever seen any illegal immigrant actually try to swim the channel.

'Although there may have been successful attempts that we don't know about.

'In this case all the evidence points to the fact the woman was one of the hundreds of refugees currently living on the northe French coast.

'Initial tests show she died by drowning but a full post mortem examination is being carried out.'

Two Russian migrants attempted to reach Britain in a kayak 15 years ago, but they were intercepted by a French coastguard vessel.

A British cross-Channel swimmer died last month after coming within two miles of the French coast.

The unnamed man in his 40s had swum 19 miles from Dover before falling ill within sight of Calais.

Cross-Channel swimming attempts are banned in French territorial waters due to the heavy maritime traffic and strong currents.

Captain Matthew Webb made the first recorded unassisted swim across the Channel in 1875. About 1,000 people have made the crossing since.