Daniel Thomas, a far-right activist known for his anti-migrant stance, was arrested on Wednesday evening on suspicion of criminal damage and maritime safety offences after he filmed himself apparently slashing a dinghy in the English Channel while a French rescue worker remained aboard. The incident occurred after the dinghy, used by people smugglers to transport migrants from France to England, had been emptied of passengers and was being taken back.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police confirmed that the 37-year-old man, who goes by the name Danny Tommo, was detained on suspicion of destroying ships or fixed platforms and recklessly endangering life under the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990, as well as offences under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. The police statement noted that the boat had a rescue worker on board at the time it was damaged, and Thomas remained in custody following his arrest.
Footage posted by Thomas shows him using a knife to stab and slash the inflatable dinghy while shouting at the French responder to leave the vessel, claiming the area was "English territory." The video also featured Thomas accusing those involved in migrant rescues of betrayal. The arrest followed reports of the incident to police on Tuesday evening.
Thomas is a prominent figure in recent anti-migrant activities, having helped organize a blockade at Dover on September 5 and a protest in Portsmouth on September 6 that aimed to prevent migrants rescued from the Channel from being brought ashore. Both protests involved hundreds of right-wing activists. Six people were arrested during the events in Gosport on Tuesday, where Thomas had earlier filmed himself attempting to intercept a dinghy carrying dozens of migrants.
Following Thomas’s detention, around 300 supporters gathered peacefully outside a police investigation center in Basingstoke to demand his release, chanting slogans in his favor while police maintained a presence to monitor the demonstration.
The incident comes amid rising numbers of small boat crossings in the Channel, with Home Office data showing that Wednesday saw the highest number of arrivals in a single day this year—781 people arriving in 10 boats. This brought the provisional total crossings for 2025 to 18,565, a figure reportedly down by about 42% compared to the same point in 2024 but still prompting government concern.
A government spokesperson acknowledged the reductions in crossings but emphasized the need for continued efforts to combat the people smuggling trade, describing it as a "vile trade." Recent weeks have also seen two instances of unescorted landings by migrants, raising serious concerns within the Home Office. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has ordered an urgent review into these breaches of Border Force security, calling the failures "not acceptable."
Education Secretary Lucy Powell commented on the challenges of fully preventing small boat crossings, acknowledging that absolute interdiction is difficult to achieve. The incident involving Thomas has further intensified public and governmental scrutiny over how the Channel migrant crossings and associated protests are being managed.