Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused the French navy of attempted intimidation after a French naval officer fired 17 handgun rounds from the patrol vessel Flamant during his BBC interview on a fishing boat about two miles off Boulogne on Monday.
French authorities rejected the claim, saying the Flamant was conducting a routine handgun firing exercise off Cape Gris-Nez and that the British boat was outside the firing range with all safety areas respected. A retired Royal Navy captain said he did not believe France deliberately sought to intimidate a British politician.
Philp said he would raise the matter with the French ambassador in London, Hélène Tréheux-Duchêne. The incident occurred against the backdrop of debate over migration: Home Office figures show 13,350 migrant arrivals so far in 2026, down 45% from the same period last year.