British boy, 13, feared dead after disappearing while swimming in sea with brothers in France

Search operations were called off in Boulogne on Tuesday morning

The boys had reportedly been swimming off a jetty at the entrance to Boulogne's harbour (Google Streetview)

A 13-year-old British boy is feared to have drowned while swimming in the sea on holiday in France.

Emergency services in Boulogne stopped search efforts on Tuesday morning as rescuers said strong currents in the area and the water temperature made the teenager’s survival almost impossible.

He disappeared while swimming with his two younger brothers, aged eight and 10, near a jetty in the town’s harbour on Monday afternoon.

The children raised the alarm at 6.30pm local time (5.30pm BST), local media reported, but search operations using boats, divers and a helicopter have found no trace of the child.

A rescue worker told La Voix du Nord newspaper hopes of finding the boy alive and the prosecutor’s office had started an investigation.

“At this temperature, the chances of survival in the water are estimated at two or three hours at the most,” he added.

A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was supporting the boy's family, adding: “Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."