A baby was among hundreds of migrants rescued by British crews in the Mediterranean.

A total of 541 people were taken on board the HMS Enterprise and HMS Richmond as part of the Royal Navy's assistance to an operation in the region countering migrant smugglers, the Ministry of Defence said.

One picture shows a rescuer carrying what appears to be a very young baby, while another picture features a rescuer holding the hand of a child who looks about four or five years old.

The rescue comes three days after HMS Richmond arrived with new powers to board and seize smuggling vessels, as well as detain people suspected of being migrant smugglers or human traffickers.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "The Royal Navy continues to demonstrate its invaluable work in the Mediterranean, saving 541 vulnerable lives. Our focus remains on hitting the criminal gangs responsible for endangering the lives of innocent people.

"We are determined to tackle this at source. The new powers we have to board boats and detain the smugglers will help us put an end to this trade in human misery."

The MoD said the migrants were cared for by the military personnel on board the ships and have been transferred to a Norwegian support ship.

Including this latest mission, Royal Navy ships in the Mediterranean have rescued almost 7,000 migrants since May.