France has disinvited Priti Patel from migrant talks as it labelled a letter from Boris Johnson which demanded new measures "a disappointment".

       The Prime Minister had written to Emmanuel Macron last night calling for a 'returns agreement' which would see those who arrive on UK shores illegally sent back to France. He also offered joint patrols on French beaches as early as next week.

       However, Gérald Darmanin, the French interior minister, wrote to Priti Patel to say that a meeting on Sunday will now proceed without British involvement.

       In a message seen by the AFP news agency, Darmanin told Ms Patel that Mr Johnson's letter was a "disappointment".

       He wrote: "Making it public made it even worse. I therefore need to cancel our meeting in Calais on Sunday."

       Appearing on Sky News, Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, insisted action is required on French beaches and "we can only do many of these things working with the French".

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       France needs to "get real" about the severity of the situation in the Channel and start talking about possible solutions, a Tory backbencher has urged.

       Tim Loughton, the MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, told Sky that he considered the behaviour of President Macron's administration "extraordinary".

       "This is a real tragedy, the amazing thing is it's not happened before and it's going to happen again," Mr Loughton said of Wednesday's tragedy in which 27 people drowned.

       "We really need to come up with some practical solutions... The Prime Minister has come up with some practical solutions, these are things we've been trying to do for some time. And now the France cancel a meeting and don't even want to talk about it, it's extraordinary.

       "The French have got to see that there are consequences for their policy of turning a blind eye, letting thousands of people come across the Channel in this really hazardous way and those consequences ended in tragedy a couple of days ago. They've got to get real about this."

       The shadow home secertary has criticised Boris Johnson for what he sees as an "error of judgement" by choosing to make his letter to Emmanuel Macron public.

       "I'm not close enough to the talks between the Prime Minister and the French President to know who's being reasonable, who's being unreasonable," Nick Thomas-Symonds said.

       "But I think we can safely say that sending that public letter, that judgement from the Prime Minister that that would help has clearly proven to be in error. Here we are too after the tragic deaths of people in the Channel this week, still unable to get an effective deal with the French authorities."

       Mr Thomas-Symonds called for a successor agreement to the Dublin Agreement, the European Union principle which meant migrants could be sent back to the first country that they reached. He also urged ministers to resume the Dubs scheme, which helped unaccompanied refugee children.

       Critics of the Dublin Agreement argued that it did not work in practice, especially in light of the EU's Schengen area of free movement.

       Labour has accused the Government of being a "reckless caretaker" of British ties on the world stage as it urged the Prime Minister to establish more safe routes.

       Nick Thomas-Symonds claimed developments this morning signalled another diplomatic spat and that Boris Johnson's demand for joint patrols had already been rejected by France on a number of occasions.

       "We have yet another diplomatic spat, yet another example from the Prime Minister of failed negotiations and not getting that effective deal with the French authorities in place that we need.

       "I'm afraid this Government is a reckless caretaker of our international relationships and that's what we're seeing now unfortunately."

       Asked by Sky News about what he would propose if his party were in power, Mr Thomas-Symonds called for cooperative work to stop traffickers in their tracks.

       "What I have been arguing for for some time is that we make a broader offer on joint law enforcement work with the French authorities," he said.

       "We need to be working to break the model of these people smuggling gangs and providing safe routes."

       Gerald Darmanin move represents a major blow to attempts to build closer cooperation over Channel arrivals, writes Charles Hymas.

       It comes amid continuing Anglo-French tensions over Brexit, fishing rights and the recent Australia-UK-US nuclear submarine pact.

       Downing Street sees the pact as the best long-term solution to the escalating problem of boat crossings, as it would undercut smugglers promising a route into the UK.

       In his letter to Emmanuel Macron, Mr Johnson formally offered hundreds of British personnel to stop desperate migrants from taking to the water.

       France has so far fiercely resisted any move to allow British law enforcement officers to operate on its soil, claiming it would violate French sovereignty.

       Full report: French minister cancels weekend talks with Priti Patel

       The Transport Secretary has called on France to "reconsider" after it disinvited Priti Patel from discussions that will take place this weekend.

       Grant Shapps has said it is in everyone's best interests for Britain and France to continue to cooperate on the issue of illegal crossings.

       "I think that quite simply no nation can tackle this alone and I hope that the French will reconsider," Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast.

       " It’s in our interests, it’s in their interests, it’s certainly in the interests of people who have been people trafficked to the UK, people losing their lives.

       "We absolutely need to work together and I think that’s the right way forward."

       France's interior ministry has confirmed Priti Patel will no longer be welcome on Sunday as it branded Boris Johnson's letter "unacceptable".

       In a statement given to French media, a spokesman for the ministry said: "We consider the British Prime Minister's public letter unacceptable and contrary to our discussions between counterparts.

       "Therefore, Priti Patel is no longer invited on Sunday to the inter-ministerial meeting whose format will be: France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and European Commission."

       The Channel crisis can only be solved with help from France, the Transport Secretary has said.

       Grant Shapps - who did not appear to be aware that Priti Patel was no longer welcome at Sunday's meeting - said the Government had made a number of offers to its French counterparts.

       "The issue is originating from France... it's originating much earlier than France, of course, but they're leaving to come from the UK from France and it does mean the action is required there on the beaches," he told Sky News.

       "We can only do many of these things working with the French, and that's why we're appealing to the French to work closely, even closer, with us, it's in all our interests to get on with it.

       "We absolutely have to get on top of what is a human tragedy and we can only do that with cooperation from the French."

       France has disinvited Priti Patel from migrant talks as it labelled a letter from Boris Johnson which demanded new measures "a disappointment".

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