Two Polish men were caught trying to leave the UK in a stolen rowing boat this morning as they attempted to paddle across the English Channel to France . The men were rescued by Dover 's Lifeboat crew just two miles into their 21-mile trip after they were spotted . The two men , who are believed to be in their 20s , are thought to have stolen the boat from Folkestone , Kent , before setting for France just after 8am today . The men are thought to have stolen the boat from Folkestone before setting out on the 21-mile trip across the Channel just after 8am today . Folkestone Coastguard tweeted this picture of the two men being rescued . They were rescued by the crew at Dover Lifeboat station , and told them they 'had no money ' and could not find jobs in the UK - and so were 'going to France to find work ' . James Clapham , who works at Dover Lifeboat station , said : 'They were trying to make it to Calais , but with the strong breeze and incoming tide they did n't get very far . 'It 's quite unusual to try and get to the other side . 'They said they had been looking for work but did n't find any in Britain and they said they were going back to France . ' The men told the lifeboat crew they 'had no money ' and were going to France to find jobs . The men were handed over to officers from Kent Police at around 11am . Derek Edwards , 45 , who lives in the town , said : 'It 's crazy that they were trying to leave Britain when all those people in Calais are desperately trying to get into the country . 'They were lucky they were spotted before they got half way across the Channel or it could have ended in tragedy . ' A spokesman for Kent Police said : 'We were called just before 9am to reports that two Polish men had taken a boat from Folkestone and were rowing to France . 'They were picked up by Dover Lifeboat and the men were questioned by UK Border Force . 'Kent Police is trying to locate the owner of the boat which is believed to be stolen . ' A Border Force spokesman said no immigration offences had been committed so they were taking no further action . In July last year a group of 28 illegal immigrants - 22 men , four women and two children - were caught as they tried to sneak out of the UK by stowing away on a lorry . They were found after the truck they were hiding in disembarked from the P & O ferry The Spirit of France in Calais - and were promptly send back to the UK . The unnamed Romanian driver of the lorry was questioned by French police before being allowed to continue his journey to Poland .
Two Polish men in their 20s were spotted paddling in stolen rowing boat . Believed to have been making their way to France via Folkestone . They were picked up by a crew from Dover Lifeboat Station this morning . Told rescuers they had no money and were going to France to find work . Kent Police are trying to locate the owner of the stolen rowing boat .