‘Danny Tommo’ is being investigated by police after he shared footage of himself slashing a dinghy in the English Channel while a rescuer was still on board. 

The anti-migrant activist – real name Daniel Thomas – brought his boat up alongside the dinghy after all the migrants on board had been picked up by the RNLI.

Seconds later, a French rescuer stepped onto the empty dinghy to secure it, before Thomas sliced through one side of it.

‘You’re on English territory. This is England, this is not France any more,’ he told the rescuer. 

He then shouted at the Frenchman to get off the dinghy and return to his own boat. 

‘Get off the boat, you’ve got time to get off the boat,’ he said several times before shouting ‘let’s go’ and sailing off. 

The 37-year-old told his online audience that he was heading towards Gosport – where a crowd of black-clad protesters from his group, Patriot Platform, were expecting the migrants to be taken ashore from lifeboats. 

But they were instead taken ashore at Dover early this morning after completing an unprecedented 38-hour voyage to the UK.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said they are ‘aware’ of the video and investigating it.  

‘We are aware of a video circulating online relating to damage being caused to a boat in the English Channel on the afternoon of September 22, and we are conducting enquiries into the matter,’ a spokesman said. 

The anti-migrant activist – real name Daniel Thomas – brought his boat up alongside the dinghy after all the migrants on board had been picked up by the RNLI

Seconds later, a French rescuer stepped onto the empty dinghy to secure it, before Thomas sliced through one side of it 

The French rescue worker did not react after the activist slashed the dinghy with a knife 

The migrants’ voyage started from Port-en-Bessin, north of Bayeux in Normandy, just before 10am on Monday, and the 51 migrants arrived in the Kent port after midnight following reports they had been bound for Gosport. 

It is thought to be the longest duration of any voyage undertaken by small-boat migrants – and it was branded a ‘fiasco’ by the Conservatives.

Following reports yesterday the dinghy was to dock in Hampshire’s Gosport, hundreds of protesters turned out in the town – and in nearby Portsmouth – but the effort dissipated after the boat was rerouted to Dover.

Hampshire Police described some of those who remained in Gosport thereafter as ‘hostile’ towards officers and said it arrested six people for offences including careless driving, assaulting an emergency worker and aggravated trespass.

Around a dozen protesters were seen in Dover as the migrants arrived and officers closed nearby roads in anticipation.

The dinghy incident raised serious questions over the effectiveness of Labour’s £662million deal with the French to prevent crossings.

French authorities, who shadowed the dinghy across the Channel, said they decided not to intervene due to safety concerns.

As tides took the boat back towards the French coast on Monday evening, it was so close to shore another 10 to 15 migrants were able to board, it is claimed.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: ‘This latest fiasco shows that the French are not even trying to stop the illegal immigrants’ boats in French waters – instead they are escorting them here.

‘Our border security has descended into chaos with migrants crossing at will over ever larger distances and in ever larger boats.

‘The Government’s claim to smash the gangs is laughable and their deal with the French is clearly not working.

‘The Conservatives have a plan to end all accommodation and benefits for illegal immigrants, and instead deport them on arrival. Then, these farcical crossings would soon stop.’

Four French lifeboats plus the search-and-rescue tugboat Abeille Liberté, along with a French Navy helicopter, were scrambled to the 40ft dinghy’s location on Monday. A spokesman for local rescue services said: ‘The boat was in a very bad way, and very low in the water, with just a single small outboard motor to power it.

‘The sea was calm, and weather conditions were good, but the decision was taken to escort the boat, without intervening.’

The Abeille Liberté continued to follow the migrant boat yesterday morning and afternoon.

At about 4.30pm, the migrants were transferred from their dinghy to two RNLI lifeboats. Half an hour later, they switched to Border Force’s HMC Vigilant.

Hampshire Police said it made six arrests in Gosport after some protesters who remained on the streets became ‘hostile’ towards officers

Protesters fronted up to police officers in Gosport as the dinghy’s progress was livestreamed online

The boat was escorted by sturdier vessels throughout its passage to Britain

Border Security Command boat HMC Vigilant returned to Dover in the early hours of this morning

The cutter then headed towards Gosport but last night the town’s Conservative MP Dame Caroline Dinenage said she was ‘pleased’ Border Force had confirmed the migrants were instead being taken ‘to Dover by water as we asked’.

She added: ‘This must now set a clear precedent. If further boats are intercepted in our part of the Channel, they should be taken straight to Dover.’

Hampshire Police said it was investigating a reported slashing of a boat in the Channel after a video appearing to show the attack was posted on social media.

Migrants are normally processed at Manston, near Ramsgate. This incident comes just over two weeks after a mega-dinghy with 120 migrants aboard was brought into Eastney Marina, three miles from Portsmouth’s main harbour, sparking protests.

The Daily Mail reported yesterday how a migrant boat reached Folkestone in Kent without being intercepted by UK Border Force.

The migrants then arrived in Dover at around midnight.  

Defence minister Luke Pollard said a Home Office investigation was under way.

Up to Sunday, 17,480 migrants have arrived via the Channel this year.

A Government spokesman said: ‘The Border Security Command works around the clock to protect our border and will continue to detain, check and process every small boat arrival.’