Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp reported that a French warship fired live rounds near his vessel on Tuesday while he was observing small boat activity in the English Channel. Philp suggested the incident, which occurred approximately 300 yards from his boat, was an attempt by the French Navy to intimidate him.
Philp, who was on a fact-finding mission to monitor illegal migrant crossings, posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, that featured loud noises he and others believed to be live ammunition. He stated there was no prior notice of a training exercise.
"Felt like warning shots or attempted intimidation," Philp wrote in his post. In the video, Philp is heard asking, "Is that a warning shot towards us?"
Fisherman Matt Coker, who was accompanying Philp, stated that live firing exercises are typically announced on VHF radio to all vessels in the vicinity, with the location clearly provided. Coker noted that no such announcement had been made during their time at sea since 6 a.m.
"So it sounds like it might’ve been an effort to intimidate us," Philp commented, to which Coker replied, "It could well have been, it might have been a little bit of a warning shot and a show of force."
Photographs taken during the trip showed a French navy officer on the deck of the warship holding and firing a handgun away from the British trawler, according to The Times, which also accompanied Philp on the excursion. The incident took place a couple of miles off Boulogne.