Sports equipment retailer Decathlon has said it will no longer sell canoes in the north of France to prevent migrants from attempting to use them to cross to England.
"The purchase of canoes will no longer be possible" in Decathlon stores in Calais and Grande-Synthe, near Dunkirk, "given the current context," the retailer said, confirming local media reports.
The items were not being used for their original sporting purpose, but "could be used to cross the Channel," it said.
In such cases, "people's lives would be endangered," the retailer argued.
The stores themselves had decided to stop selling the canoes and management had approved the decision, Decathlon said.
The canoes will continue to be available for online purchase and in other stores. Other safety equipment, such as life-jackets and thermal protection will also still be sold in the Calais and Grande-Synthe stores.
Last Friday, three migrants were reported missing after trying to cross the Channel to Britain in canoes, as the number of crossings soars.
Two canoes were found adrift off Calais on Thursday and two people were fished out of the water.
Earlie today, French police cleared a major migrant camp that was home to around 1,000 people hoping to reach Britain.
Tensions are high between London and Paris over English Channel crossings.
A record number of migrants crossed the Channel in small boats last Thursday - 1,185 according to British figures - which the UK government described as "unacceptable".
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin spoke to his British counterpart Priti Patel yesterday, but only after giving a blunt interview in which he said Britain should "stop using us as a punch-ball in their domestic politics".
