When a BBC journalist cut across the English Channel interviewing Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, a French patrol boat, PSP Flamant, suddenly fired 17 shots from about 300 meters away.
The shots came without any warning, leaving Philp and the crew on the fishing boat that hosted the interview shaken. "It felt like an intimidation tactic to stop us covering migrant crossings," Philp told the BBC, while the French Navy said it was simply a routine training exercise.
The incident has raised questions over the French Navy’s role in monitoring and preventing illegal crossings into Britain, as the French reportedly allow smugglers to pass through and hand them off to the British coastguard. Philp said he would raise the matter with the French ambassador.
A Home Office spokesman said the UK is talking with French authorities to get more context on the event. The episode comes a few weeks after a Russian warship launched live-fire drills off Plymouth, illustrating heightened naval activity in the region.
Watch the full interview and the unexpected shooting, or save this story for later: Full video here.
