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A few seconds later, a French rescuer stepped onto the dinghy from his own larger boat.

As Danny Tommo, or Daniel Thomas, drew closer, he then successfully slashed one side of the inflatable dinghy.

“You’re on English territory. This is England, this is not France any more,” he said to the rescue worker.

He then repeatedly urged the rescuer to step off onto a French vessel which had pulled up next to the dinghy.

“Get off the boat, you’ve got time to get off the boat,” he shouted multiple times before sailing off.

He said he was heading towards Gosport – and that the migrants originally aboard the boat were being taken elsewhere.

They arrived in Dover early on Wednesday morning, far from protests which had broken out over their huge police escort that had been planned in the Hampshire town.

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YOUTUBE/DANNY TOMMO

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YOUTUBE/DANNY TOMMO

Police have now said they are “aware” of the video, and confirmed they were investigating.

“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,” Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.

George Madgwick, Reform UK’s leader in Hampshire, said he thought Mr Thomas would be “in real trouble after slashing that boat”.

“He acted emotionally in a volatile situation and has handed the rope to the Government that they’ve been waiting to hang him with.”

Just days ago, the Home Secretary threatened to use the “full force of the law” against the 37-year-old.

Speaking to The Guardian, Shabana Mahmood branded him a “far-right and outright racist” and threatened to use of the powers of the state against him should his group act criminally near migrant housing in places like Piddington.

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He has threatened legal action in response, saying she “used one of the most powerful offices in the country to brand me a racist in front of the nation”.

The activist has consistently denied that he is racist.

Mr Madgwick added last night: “Many will applaud what he did. Many will disagree. But he has handed an open goal to the very people (Government) who’ve been looking to take a shot against him.”

Activist group Stand Up To Racism condemned the video in the Channel as “disgusting”, and claimed he was “going wild with a knife”.

It later claimed the Gosport protest was “instigated by Danny Tommo as an attempt to stir up a pogrom against those rescued from a small boat crossing”.

In full, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s statement reads: “Police and partner agencies, including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Border Security Command, worked closely in response to reports of a small boat crossing the English Channel on Tuesday September 22.

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PA

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PA

“Members of the public who were closely following the activity of the vessel turned out in Gosport and Portsmouth to protest.

“To help facilitate peaceful protest, ensure the safety of the local community and support partners in the event of any emergency at sea, we deployed officers to Gosport and Portsmouth.

“Following news that the vessel would be docking elsewhere in the country, police were met with a group of people who remained in Gosport, some of whom became hostile towards officers.

“As a result, six people were arrested for offences including careless driving, assaulting an emergency worker and aggravated trespass.

“They remain in custody at this time and our enquiries into these incidents continue.

“We are also 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.”