Tory MP accuses French navy of firing ‘warning’ shots near him in Channel

Conservative MP Chris Philp says he was targeted by deliberate intimidation while filming a BBC interview from a boat in the English Channel on Tuesday. Philp, the shadow home affairs spokesperson, heard shots fired from a French patrol vessel and quickly posted about the incident on social media. But according to The Guardian, French authorities said the gunfire was part of a routine training exercise – and that they had no idea Philp was even present. What initially looked like a calculated show of force turned out to be routine naval procedure at an awkward moment.

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