Border Force crews who patrol waters including the English Channel for smugglers and small boat crossings have voted to strike.

The maritime officers are set to ditch their patrols in a ‘highly disruptive’ walkout, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union announced.

The vote, involving over 120 employees, saw an 80% turnout, with 96% backing strike action, the PCS said.

Staff have been waiting over six years for a payment review of their allowances, with Border Force management repeatedly missing deadlines, the union claimed.

More small boats crossed the Channel overnight, pushing arrivals past 36,000 this year – a third higher than this time last year.

In a statement, the PCS union said its members were ‘sick to the teeth of being disrespected and undervalued by management’. It

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