French Patrol Boat Flamant Fires Near British MP’s Boat in the Channel

A French naval patrol boat fired a handgun approximately 300 metres from a British MP's boat in the English Channel on July 28. No warning had been given.

Chris Philp, shadow home secretary for the Conservative Party, was about two miles off Boulogne-sur-Mer being filmed by the BBC about small-boat crossings. The patrol boat Flamant (P676) passed on the starboard side of his boat. A sailor on the Flamant's stern fired the handgun at a towed target at the moment the two were closest. Philp counted 17 rounds.

He posted on X shortly after: 'As I was being interviewed by the BBC just now a French warship approached close and fired 17 live rounds behind us. There was no notice or training exercise in place.' He said he did not accept France's explanation. 'I don't buy the line from the French that this was routine training.'

Matt Coker, the skipper of the boat, told the BBC he had no prior warning. 'I had no warnings on the VHF radio or saw any flags indicating what was about to happen,' Coker said.

France's Maritime Prefecture for the Channel and North Sea issued a statement to AFP. It said a sailor had 'carried out a handgun firing exercise off Cap Gris-Nez.' Individual combat training was part of the normal activity of a patrol boat on operations, the statement said. Safety signals had been displayed and the safety perimeter had been respected. The exercise was unrelated to Philp's boat, which the prefecture said was outside the range of the firing.

The UK Home Office said it was in contact with French authorities 'to understand the full context of this incident.' Philp said he planned to contact the French ambassador.

For background on interpreting vessel activity around maritime incidents, our guides explain maritime safety tracking, coastal and deep-sea tracking coverage, and the accuracy of ship-location data.