MORE than 1,400 migrants near several Greek islands were rescued by the coastguard in the three days to yesterday, authorities have revealed.

The 1,417 people were picked up in 59 incidents off the coasts of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Agathonisi and Kos in the eastern Aegean Sea.

That figure does not include hundreds of other people who managed to reach land themselves before walking to the main towns to report to local authorities and receive registration papers.

Tensions have escalated, with some fights breaking out.

A policeman holding a knife roughly pushed back a crowd outside a local authority building in Kos yesterday, slapping one man across the face as he told others to get behind a line that he drew on the pavement with the knife.

The officer was suspended pending investigation after images appeared online.