Loose Women star Jane Moore has dismissed claims by a pro-migrant group that French police acted “illegally” by puncturing an inflatable dinghy on the beaches near Calais.
French authorities are facing scrutiny after officers were seen deflating a migrant boat near Calais. Footage shared on social media last month appeared to show an officer slashing a rubber dinghy packed with migrants at Oye-Plage, causing it to collapse and forcing those onboard back onto shore.
Migrant support group Utopia 56 has filed a formal complaint with France’s Defender of Rights, accusing police of breaking the law and putting lives in danger.
The group also lodged a separate complaint with the National Gendarmerie Inspectorate.
Posting online, Utopia 56 said one of its activists filmed the incident. The group stated: “You can see police officers cutting into a boat already in the water while people are still onboard.
“This is an extremely dangerous practice for passengers, yet it has been used repeatedly for years, based on what we continue to witness along the coast.”
However, the Pas-de-Calais Gendarmerie rejected those accusations, insisting officers acted lawfully.
A spokesperson said the boat had not entered open water and had instead become stranded after suffering a flotation problem.
They added that officers disabled the dinghy to stop it from returning to sea, preventing migrants from facing further danger during a crossing attempt.
Responding to the controversy, as well as the ongoing heatwave in the UK, Moore made her position clear.
“The hot weather has led to a rise in successful small-boat crossings,” she wrote in her latest newspaper column.
The ITV star added: “At the same time, some migrants deported under the ‘one in, one out’ deal are reportedly returning hidden in lorries, and 11 returnees are already back in the deportation system.
“Meanwhile, when French police actually did what we pay them to do and punctured a dinghy preparing to leave for the UK, migrant charity Utopia 56 called it ‘illegal’ and claimed lives were put at risk.
“What utter nonsense. The boat was deflated in shallow water to stop it reaching the Channel, which averages around 207 feet deep.
“In reality, puncturing it may have saved lives, not endangered them,” she wrote in The Sun.
The incident comes as United Kingdom and France step up cooperation to tackle Channel crossings under a £662 million agreement announced in April.
The three-year deal includes £500 million for stronger enforcement along northern French coastlines, with another £160 million tied to the success of new anti-smuggling measures.
Under the agreement, France will deploy high-tech drones, two helicopters and an advanced camera network to target smuggling gangs and stop illegal crossings.
Riot-trained officers will also patrol French beaches, with the Home Office saying the plan is aimed at putting people smugglers behind bars.
French efforts have faced criticism, with earlier figures showing only 35% of attempted crossings were stopped over the previous year.
More than 41,000 people reached Britain by small boat, while just 22,476 attempts were intercepted, prompting Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp to label the prevention rate “pathetic.”
More recent figures show a mixed picture. Home Office data recorded 710 arrivals on Monday across 11 boats — the highest single-day total of 2026 after two weeks of poor weather.
However, the 9,852 crossings recorded by June 21 mark a 40% drop compared with the same period last year.
