Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, has claimed he was the target of an intimidation attempt by the French navy in the English Channel. Mr Philp, who was on patrol, reported hearing 17 indistinct pops after a French warship appeared.
He stated that a French sailor fired shots from a handgun into the sea, which he interpreted as a deliberate act of intimidation. Mr Philp suggested the French were attempting to prevent him from stopping small boat crossings.
A member of Border Force present during the incident indicated that such occurrences are common during naval exercises involving the Royal or French navy, and shots are often fired using blanks, suggesting it "may be nothing at all."