Police have launched an investigation after far-right activist Daniel Thomas was filmed using a blade to slash an inflatable dinghy in the English Channel while a rescue worker was still on board.

In footage Thomas recorded and shared himself on Tuesday afternoon, he can be seen tracking two dinghies that had been carrying asylum seekers from France. He approached one of the vessels—which was filled with life jackets left behind by passengers—and repeatedly stabbed holes into its side, with the sound of escaping air clearly audible on the clip.

As he cut into the craft, Thomas shouted, “This is England. This is not France any more.” Spotting a rescue worker in an orange hi-vis outfit onboard the dinghy, he shouted for them to “get off”, adding: “Get off the boat. You’ve got time to get off the boat.” Thomas then motored away as the emergency worker climbed onto a larger rescue vessel stationed alongside the dinghy.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed officers are carrying out inquiries into the incident. The confrontation came amid heightened tensions onshore; police made six arrests in Gosport on Tuesday night for offences including assaulting an emergency worker and aggravated trespass, after anti-migrant demonstrators gathered following reports a boat was heading towards the town.

The French coastguard reported that around 60 migrants had spent more than 33 hours at sea “in precarious conditions” on a small boat. They had refused assistance from French authorities because they were “determined to take all risks to reach the United Kingdom.” British rescue vessels eventually collected the passengers, and while they were initially expected to land at Gosport, the boat was redirected east along the coast, arriving in Dover after 12:30am on Wednesday morning.

The footage has drawn strong condemnation from charities and campaign groups. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants described Thomas’s actions as “violent and dangerous.” Stand Up to Racism also condemned the incident on X, saying: “Danny Tommo already has a conviction for knife crime. The footage of him going wild with a knife and slashing a boat with [an emergency worker] on it in the Channel today is disgusting.”

Thomas, who operates under the name Danny Tommo, is the founder of the anti-migration group Patriot Platform and an associate of political activist Tommy Robinson. He regularly livestreams his activities to his followers, having previously helped organise demonstrations in Dover and led recent protests in Portsmouth. In 2016, Portsmouth Crown Court jailed him for two years for attempted kidnapping after he and two accomplices went “mob-handed” to a victim's home armed with knives over a drug dispute.

This incident takes place against the backdrop of ongoing Channel crossings, with UK authorities working on plans to handle arrivals further along the coastline. Official figures show that 17,480 migrants have arrived by small boat so far this year, including 5,011 since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister. However, the overall total for 2026 represents a 46 per cent decrease compared to the same point last year.

Responding to border enforcement efforts, a government spokesperson stated: “The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border and will continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival.”

What we do not know yet is whether Hampshire police will bring formal charges against Thomas following their review of the footage. I will be keeping a close eye on the investigation and the wider response from maritime authorities as things develop. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.