UK Anti-Migrant Activist Charged After Slashing Dinghy in English Channel

British anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas, 37, was charged on September 24 with criminal damage and failing to disclose his phone PIN to police after footage appeared to show him slashing a migrant boat in the English Channel, Hampshire Police announced.

Thomas, popular online under the name Danny Tommo, was remanded in custody and is set to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court via videolink. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Wessex confirmed there was sufficient evidence to proceed and that it was in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.

Public reaction

Several hundred supporters gathered outside a police investigation centre in Basingstoke on Thursday evening, chanting "free DT" and "we want our Danny back." The demonstration passed peacefully and the crowd began to disperse around 21:45 BST after the charges were announced.

The case draws attention to the ongoing tension in the English Channel over small boat crossings, which have become a major political issue in the UK. Authorities noted the incident involved a boat that had an emergency responder on board at the time it was damaged.