Flag Campaign Leader's Vigilante Partnership Uncovered
A chief from the flag campaign group Raise the Colours has been engaging in vigilante action against migrants alongside a far-right associate of Tommy Robinson who was previously jailed for a botched kidnap. Ryan Bridge, the campaign chief, has teamed up with Daniel Thomas, once described as Robinson's right-hand man. Thomas received a two-year prison sentence in 2016 for his role in a failed kidnap attempt.
The duo has been openly boasting about their sabotage activities on social media, specifically targeting small boat crossings. Earlier this month, they documented finding a boat on the French coast, with footage emerging of them deliberately damaging its engine. Their activities continued, with the pair appearing back in France as recently as last Friday.
Social Media Boasts and 'Operation Overlord'
On the official X account of Raise the Colours, the group publicly claimed responsibility for destroying "another migrant boat." One post triumphantly declared: "We don't just say 'Stop The Boats' we STOP The Boats!"
Social media evidence includes an image posted on Thomas's account showing both men standing next to what appears to be the remnants of a destroyed vessel. Another picture shows Bridge and Thomas proudly holding flags next to the damaged boat. A video posted to the group's Facebook page features the pair posing with flags set to the music of "Rule, Britannia!". The group labelled this coordinated effort "Operation Overlord", a direct reference to the Allied campaign in World War Two. The accompanying post bragged, “One Migrant Boat Has Been Destroyed”.
Criminal Histories and Legal Troubles
The background of Bridge's partner in these activities reveals a history of serious crime. Daniel Thomas, who also goes by the name Danny Tommo, was handed a two-year sentence in 2016 for attempted kidnap. The court at Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Thomas and two accomplices, armed with knives, arrived at their victim's home in Hampshire. They punched the man, pinned him against a wall, and tried to force him from his property. The victim resisted by clinging to the door frame, and the perpetrators eventually fled in a car, shouting, “We’ll be back.” The incident was a case of mistaken identity, and one of the trio later sent the victim a Facebook message to apologise.
Furthermore, the anti-fascist organisation Hope Not Hate (HNH) states that Thomas made inflammatory comments online following last year’s tragic attack on a children’s dance class in Southport. HNH claims Thomas "shared a video in the hours after the Southport attack claiming that 'we need to do something very extreme' and 'every city needs to go up'."
Meanwhile, Ryan Bridge himself faces potential jail time for his alleged involvement in a holiday sickness scam in Spain. The 44-year-old is being pursued by Spanish authorities over claims of fraud and membership of a criminal group. Two hotel groups are seeking an eight-year prison sentence for Bridge if he is convicted at trial.
In response to a previous news story, Bridge posted social media videos in which he appeared topless in bed and called on his followers to "expose" the reporter, Simon Murphy. In a 10-minute clip, he urged his supporters, "Do everything you can, try and get this guy to just f***ing leave me alone," and suggested they "do some dirt" on the journalist. He alluded to a history of violence, stating, "Guess what, I've been done for drunk and disorderly. I've been done for... going down the football and, perhaps, having a bit of fisticuffs."
Despite these actions, Raise the Colours presents a different public image. Its website claims the group has raised nearly £100,000 and describes a campaign to "cover Britain in symbols of unity and patriotism." The group has also posted a message on its website asserting it is a "lawful, civic movement" that does "not support vigilante behaviour, unauthorised activity, or attempts by individuals to take the law into their own hands." The statement claims any individual taking physical action abroad does so "entirely on their own initiative and without our support, approval or encouragement."
