A RAFT carrying 11 north Africans was intercepted at 40 miles off the coast of Benidorm in the early hours of this morning, say Guardia Civil and Coastguard officers.

The would-be immigrants, who were travelling in a tiny speedboat, are all said to be adult males and were taken to the port of Alicante when they were rescued from the high seas.

Emergency services who attended to them say they are all in apparently good health and did not need medical treatment.

North African immigrants often attempt to reach Spain on rafts and speedboats via the south coast, but it is rare they come as far north as the Costa Blanca.