A TORY MP has accused the French navy of carrying out what "felt like warning shots or attempted intimidation" as he gave an interview on a boat in the Channel.
The warship appeared to fire “17 live rounds” behind the shadow home secretary while he carried out interviews on a boat in the Channel.
In a video shared by the Conservative frontbencher on X, noise which sounds like gunshots could be heard as the ship passed by while he was being interviewed by the BBC.
French authorities said the incident was a training exercise which was unrelated to Philp’s boat and safety areas were “respected”.
In a statement, Philp accused France of “doing little” to stop illegal journeys across the Channel and “seemingly now intimidating anyone who tries to expose it”.
“The French warship fired 17 live rounds behind us as it was at its closest point to us. There was no warning at all. It felt like these were warning shots and our skipper told me he had never seen anything like this in years sailing in the Channel,” he said.
Philp has said he will be raising the incident with the French ambassador.
In a statement, translated from French, the Prefecture maritime Manche mer du Nord, said the Flamant had been carrying out a handgun firing exercise off Cape Gris-Nez.
“In order to maintain their high level of operational readiness in the current international context, French navy units conduct regular training exercises,” they said.
“Individual combat training is part of the normal activities of a vessel on operations.
“The regulatory signals required under international standards for this firing exercise were displayed, and the safety area was respected.
“This exercise was unrelated to the presence of a British vessel in the area, which was outside the range of the shots fired.
“The Flamant was not involved in a migrant boat surveillance operation.”
However, on X, Philp insisted the claim was “not credible”.
He said: “There were no warnings in place about live firing training exercises. They fired the live rounds at the closest point of approach to us – and didn’t fire anything that we saw before or after. It looked and sounded exactly like deliberate intimidation.”
BBC journalist Michael Keohan said it was a “strange moment”, with the French vessel being around 300 metres away and firing in “close proximity”.
Matt Dathan, a reporter from the Times, who was also on the vessel, has described seeing a French navy officer standing at the stern of the ship firing a handgun into the water, aiming away from the Conservative shadow minister.
The captain of the fishing boat, Matt Coker, told them he had “never seen anything like it before”.
The incident comes as the Prime Minister insisted the Government’s plan to tackle small boat crossings in the Channel was “working”.
The Prime Minister said there is “more to do” but insisted the Government’s plan to tackle migrant crossings is working.
Speaking to reporters on a visit to Derby on Tuesday, Burnham said: “The Home Secretary 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.”
