- Police arrested six people in Gosport on September 22 after a crowd gathered over a migrant boat’s reported route.
- The boat was diverted from Haslar Marina and reached Dover early Wednesday, September 23.
- Police said the arrests involved alleged offences; no charges were announced, and a separate video inquiry continues.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary arrested six people in Gosport on September 22 after crowds gathered over reports that a boat carrying migrants would arrive at Haslar Marina. Police said the arrests involved allegations including careless driving, assaulting an emergency worker and aggravated trespass.
The gathering followed reports that the small boat was heading toward Gosport. Authorities diverted it, and it reached Dover early on Wednesday, September 23.
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Police said some people who remained in Gosport became hostile toward officers after the vessel’s destination changed. The six arrested people remained in custody as enquiries continued.
The protest did not bring the boat to the marina.
A police spokesperson said officers had been sent to Gosport and Portsmouth as a precaution, to assist maritime partners, support any peaceful demonstration and protect the public. Police also said they had kept in contact with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Border Security Command.
“As a precaution, we deployed officers to Gosport and Portsmouth this afternoon to support our partners in the event of any emergency at sea, to facilitate any peaceful protest and ensure the safety of the public.”
The spokesperson said police would begin reducing the operation, but officers would stay in the area while people left and to maintain public safety.
Police split the six arrests across three alleged offences
Two men from Salisbury, aged 19 and 36, were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. The four other people, all from Gosport, were arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.
That group comprised men aged 33 and 67, and women aged 31 and 32. Police also arrested the 67-year-old on suspicion of careless driving.
Those are allegations, not findings of guilt. The force said all six remained in custody while enquiries continued; it did not announce charges in its account of the arrests.
A separate Channel video remains under police inquiry
Police also opened enquiries into a video circulating online that appeared to show a person damaging an inflatable boat in the English Channel earlier that day. The footage appeared to show Daniel Thomas, who also uses the name Danny Tommo, cutting the boat’s side while a rescue worker remained aboard.
Police said they were “conducting enquiries into the matter.” Thomas was identified in reporting as a far-right campaigner who had urged supporters to travel to Gosport and disrupt the boat’s arrival.
The video inquiry is separate from the six arrests in the town. Police described it as an ongoing matter, rather than announcing an arrest connected with the footage.
The boat reached Dover after more than 33 hours at sea
Accounts placed around 60 migrants aboard the vessel and said it spent more than 33 hours at sea, shadowed by a French coastguard vessel. Another account put the number at 51 migrants who reportedly refused help from a French ship. The figures differ.
The boat arrived in Dover at around 12.30am on Wednesday, September 23, after authorities redirected it from its expected route toward Gosport. The arrival came hours after the crowd had assembled in Hampshire.
A Home Office spokesperson said groups that create fear and intimidate communities should not be allowed to operate with impunity. The spokesperson also said: “Twenty-one individuals have already been detained under a swift enforcement response.”
Police said officers would remain in Gosport and Portsmouth as people dispersed. The force’s operation began as a precaution against an emergency at sea and continued into the evening to support public safety.
