A French warship fired 17 warning shots near British MP Chris Philp as he gave an interview in the English Channel about illegal immigration, the Shadow Home Secretary has said.
Mr Philp accused the crew of the French Navy's Flamant patrol vessel of trying to "intimidate" him while he was stressing the need for more action on the "small boats" crisis. The incident occurred at around 10.15am French time (9.15am UK time) about two to three miles off the French coast near Cap Gris Nez, between Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer.
During the interview, Mr Philp was clearly startled by the sound of gunfire. "Is that a warning shot towards us, I don't know?" he exclaimed.
Philp calls for focus on illegal immigration
Speaking later to The Standard, the Croydon South MP said: "It felt like an attempt to intimidate us. They issued no warning." He added: "They should concentrate their efforts on stopping the wave of illegal immigration rather than shooting in the vicinity of British MPs."
Matt Coker, the captain of the fishing boat on which Mr Philp was conducting the interview, described the incident as unprecedented. "There's been nothing announced on the VHF from what we've heard this morning. We've been out since six o'clock," he said. "It might have just been a little bit of a warning shot, maybe just trying a bit of show of force."
A reporter from The Times, also aboard, observed a French navy officer standing at the stern of the ship firing a handgun into the water, aiming away from the Conservative MP.
Diplomatic action planned
Mr Philp said he would raise the matter with the French Ambassador in London, Hélène Tréheux-Duchêne.
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham insisted that the Government's plans to reduce the number of "small boats" crossing the Channel are "working". On a visit to Derby, the Prime Minister said: "The Home Secretary (Shabana Mahmood) has brought forward a very rigorous plan in relation to this, and let's remember, the numbers can fluctuate but overall boat crossings are down, down quite significantly year on year. So that does suggest that the plan is working."
Asked if the "small boats" may represent a "threat to national security", Mr Burnham stressed that he wanted "all relevant and necessary checks" to be completed. He added: "It's about getting a grip on the entire situation. ... The public wants to see control being exerted, and while we've made progress, there is more to do, and I recognise that completely. But the trend is down, and the number of people being removed is up, so the figures are pointing in a better direction. But there is much more to do."
More than 77,000 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel during Sir Keir Starmer's premiership from July 2024, according to a new analysis. Home Office figures show just over 13,000 arrivals have been recorded so far this year, 45% lower than the same time last year and down 18% on the same period in 2024.
