A delivery driver who killed a five-year-old boy while taking a short cut through a ‘no entry’ sign has been jailed for six years. 

Abdullah Ebrahim was struck down on a Leeds backstreet on July 7, 2022 by 32-year-old Colin Agyei, who had driven the wrong way in order to save time. 

Abdullah’s mother, Salma Begum, watched in horror as her son – who later died in hospital – lay on the street and Agyei carried on without stopping his vehicle.

On Thursday, Agyei, of Knottingley in West Yorkshire, was jailed for six years at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving by a jury last month. He was also handed a driving ban of more than seven years.

In an emotional statement, Ms Begum told the court she is haunted by the image of her son lying alone in the road after he was run over and killed. 

She said: ‘I will never forget the image of Abdullah lying on the floor on his own. That image has stayed with me for four years. It is something I carry every single day.’

The court heard Agyei – who was driving a black Nissan Note – drove past a ‘no entry’ sign and proceeded the wrong way down one-way Back Camberley Street, Beeston, because it saved time while he made deliveries.

It was then he collided with five-year-old Abdullah as the youngster ran across the road. The boy sadly died in hospital shortly following the incident. 

Colin Agyei was jailed for six years at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving 

Judge Tom Bayliss KC, sentencing, said Agyei took Abdullah’s life ‘for no better reason’ than it saved him time as a delivery driver. 

He said: ‘The one-way system was clearly signed and you had ample opportunity to observe these signs.

‘It’s a narrow street separating back gardens of two rows of terraced houses. The sort of place where children may either be playing or crossing.’

Judge Bayliss added Agyei was not speeding but his speed was still ‘inappropriate’ for the narrow backstreet. He also accepted Agyei was remorseful and had been ‘oblivious’ to the collision.

‘This was a little boy,’ he concluded. ‘It’s hard to imagine a more vulnerable road user.’

Ms Begum told the court she failed to understand why Agyei failed to stop and left her child in the street. 

She said: ‘I attended the trial and had to sit and listen to the defendant say that he did not see my son. I heard his account change several times, and I felt that he was not telling the truth about what happened.

‘The jury took only around 40 minutes to find him guilty on all counts.

‘For me and my family, however, the pain did not end with that verdict. We have waited four years for justice. During that time, I have had to go through this awful ordeal again and again. Having to attend court, hear the evidence and relive the circumstances of Abdullah’s death has caused me enormous emotional suffering.’

Ms Begum then asked the court to remember that behind the evidence, the charges and the verdict is a family who has lost someone they love.

‘Four years have passed, but my grief has not passed. I still miss my son. I still think about him every day,’ she said.

Speaking after sentence, Detective Sergeant Steve Suggit of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team described Abdullah’s death as a ‘truly tragic incident’. 

He said the collision could have been ‘completely avoidable’ had Agyei complied with the no entry sign. 

‘Young Abdullah would not have been expecting a vehicle to be driving up the road and did not have time to react,’ Detective Suggit said.

‘While we estimate that Agyei was driving at a relatively low speed of around 15mph, during our investigation we thoroughly tested the back street and found that because of the nature of the road you cannot drive safely on it at speeds of over 7mph.

‘Agyei admitted a lesser careless driving offence but was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

‘While he has been given a custodial sentence, I know that no sentence can ever in any way equate to the lifetime of grief that Abdullah’s family face.’

Death in Paradise favourite Ben Miller’s drama Professor T concludes tonight as the final episode of series four airs on ITV1

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The fourth series of Professor T draws to a close this evening but will it return for another season?

ITV broadcasts the sixth and final episode of the current run, entitled The Warrior Gene, on Thursday (September 24) night, as Professor Jasper Tempest ( Death in Paradise’s Ben Miller) grapples with his emotions towards Dr Helena Goldberg (Bend It Like Beckham’s star Juliet Stevenson).

The synopsis reads: “In the run up to Wilfred and Zelda’s wedding, Jasper is wrestling with his feelings for Helena. Dan is stunned by a new case where he sees a dying man admit he killed someone.

“Whilst Dan and Chloe try to track down who’s been killed, Maiya thinks they are going on a wild goose chase, concerned this is about Dan’s grief over Lisa.

“Zelda has second thoughts about the wedding but when Jasper explains to her that ‘love is enough’, he realises his feelings for Helena and invites her to Zelda’s wedding.”, reports the Mirror.

It continues: “Ms. Snares takes Jasper to Lyndon Collins’ lecture on the warrior gene and Jasper is intrigued by something Collins says about the case Dan is investigating.

“On the day of the wedding and Lisa’s memorial event, Jasper uses the case to get Dan to open up about Lisa and gain the strength to attend her memorial.

“After helping Dan, Jasper returns to Zelda and Wilfred’s wedding and is thrilled when Helena appears. Helena spots Jasper has finally removed his gloves. It’s clear he’s come a long way.”

Fans will be glad to know that the fifth season has already been filmed and is currently airing across the pond but fans in the UK will have to wait for the next installment.

ITV is set to plug the Professor T-shaped hole in its schedule next week with the arrival of Richard Armitage’s new drama Winter, in which the actor portrays an unconventional forensic pathologist whose distinctive methods place him at the centre of a string of complex murder investigations.

Winter launches on ITV1 on Wednesday (September 30) at 9pm, with each episode presenting a standalone murder case alongside a continuing personal narrative for Armitage’s character.

The synopsis for the new six-part series states: “Although Winter does not always follow the expected rules, he has an exceptional ability to examine the evidence and uncover clues that others might miss.

“His skills bring him together with DI Lauren Bell, played by Annabel Scholey, a meticulous and no-nonsense detective who is equally determined when it comes to solving a case.

“Together, Winter and Bell form a formidable investigative partnership as they attempt to solve some of the most challenging murder cases.”

Professor X is available to stream on ITVX

Firefighters expect to work all night as a fire blazes at the military barracks accommodation block in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement that multiple crews were at the scene, along with an appliance from County Durham and Darlington.

“The incident is expected to be ongoing throughout the night,” the statement said.

Unverified videos and images shared online show flames and smoke rising up from a building as bystanders watch.

The BBC has asked the Ministry of Defence for comment.

Hipswell and Colburn councillor Kevin Foster told local media that details were limited at this stage.

“My immediate concern is for the safety and wellbeing of everyone at the camp, including our military personnel, their families and the emergency services responding to the incident,” he said.

This is a developing story.

Those organisations include Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, Heal Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Institute for Middle East Understanding, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and UNRWA USA.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan at the North Portico, stopping for a quick group photo before heading to an opulent State Dinner alongside top business titans and government elites.

The lavish black-tie State Dinner in the historic East Room stands as one of the most star studded evenings of the administration, offering a glitzy opportunity to smooth over notoriously fierce geopolitical friction with the Asian superpower.

Some of the CEO’s invited that will enjoy the feast include Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, Michael Dell, Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, Jane Fraser and Tim Cook. 

Beyond the corporate executives, key political attendees include Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chief Justice John Roberts, and Speaker Mike Johnson, as well as family members like Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and foreign dignitaries including LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault. Prominent media figures are also present, including Fox News anchors and hosts Bret Baier, Laura Ingraham, and Jesse Watters.

Behind closed doors in the East Room tonight, Melania’s office says they personally orchestrated the evening’s extravagant arrangements, transforming the space with red linens, Reagan-era vermeil, and overflowing urns of crimson dahlias – a striking aesthetic that the First Lady notes ‘draws on the color red’s longstanding cultural significance throughout Chinese history.’

As the leaders and their guests dine, there will be several performances, including military musicians and inauguration tenor Christopher Macchio setting a grand soundtrack.

Inside the dining room, guests are raising glasses of Schramsberg ‘Blanc De Noir’ for a symbolic toast, reviving the historic 1972 ‘Toast to Peace’ between Richard Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai in China. 

White House chefs fused classic American ingredients with subtle Asian flavors across a lavish multi-course menu.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez arrive for a state dinner

Tim Cook, Chairman of the board of directors of Apple, arrives dressed in a black suit and bowtie, holding up a peace sign

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, left, and his wife Lori Huang walk to the White House Thursday evening

VIPs enjoy a silky yellow squash velouté topped with crispy pancetta, followed by sesame-crusted sea bass served over braised baby bok choy, before rounding out the feast with a fruit-shaped vanilla cremeux paired with ice cream churned directly from White House honey.

The grand occasion comes with a touch of signature White House drama.

Trump has made no secret of his annoyance that his ambitious new White House ballroom remains unfinished, forcing the glittering diplomatic showcase into the East Room instead.

While galas, orchestrated by the Office of the First Lady, traditionally serve as the most glamorous showcase of American power, tonight’s event is unfolding largely behind closed doors.

Often the secret catalyst for blockbuster trade deals and historic treaties, this evening’s private gathering marks the first White House state dinner hosted for China since former President Barack Obama welcomed Xi back in September 2015.

This week, President Trump rolled out the red carpet for Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The visit kicked off with full military pomp today – complete with blaring bands, crisp salutes, roaring jet engines, and a personal guided tour by Trump through his gold-encrusted White House hallways.

The lavish black-tie State Dinner in the historic East Room stands as one of the most star studded evenings of the administration, offering a glitzy opportunity to smooth over notoriously fierce geopolitical friction with the Asian superpower

Jane Fraser, CEO of Citigroup, arrives in a red sequined dress

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman arrives for the state dinner

A US Air Force flyover roared overhead as Xi remained unflinching and Trump cracked a smile

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The first couple of China touched down just before 6pm local time. They will stay in the nation’s capital through Friday afternoon 

First ladies Liyuan and Trump pose for a photo with children during a visit to the Smithsonian’s National Museum Of Asian Art

The dramatic spectacle began the moment the Chinese President and his wife touched down at Joint Base Andrews.

As the leaders stood on the tarmac alongside rows of soldiers positioned in front of F-35 fighter jets and Air Force One, a screaming flyover shattered the air overhead.

The deafening roar caught Trump off guard, causing him to visibly wince while a stoic, stone-faced Xi didn’t even flinch.

Breaking more than a decade of presidential protocol, the Trump’s personally greeted the Chinese delegation on the tarmac – marking the first time a sitting US president has met a foreign leader at an airport in over 11 years.

A grinning Trump also celebrated an immediate PR win when Xi announced Beijing is sending two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to Zoo Atlanta within days, continuing the famous ‘panda diplomacy’ tradition sparked by Richard Nixon’s 1972 trip.

This week’s three-day visit is packed with cultural events alongside tough bilateral negotiations, where trade battles and thorny conflicts from tech dominance to Tehran are set to take center stage.

According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the two leaders could face each other up to four times before the year is out, with November’s APEC summit in Shenzhen and December’s G20 at Trump’s Doral golf resort in Miami already on the schedule.

The diplomatic charm offensive continues Friday, when the Trumps, Xi, and Madame Peng tour the National Archives to view America’s original founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Sonni Mason was out celebrating a friend’s birthday when he saw a man allegedly snatch a handbag outside a bar

A reveller dressed as Batman turned into an unexpected hero after pursuing a suspected handbag thief through Norwich city centre and helping to retrieve a woman’s stolen property.

Sonni Mason, 25, was out celebrating a mate’s birthday on Saturday evening when he witnessed a man allegedly grab a handbag outside a bar on Queen Street. Still wearing his Gotham City vigilante costume, he chased the suspect through the streets before getting help from a police officer.

The hunt for the missing bag eventually took Mr Mason to a wall near Norwich Cathedral, where it had been dumped. Sadly, his makeshift grappling hook, created from a recycled toilet roll, wasn’t up to the job, according to the Mirror.

Instead, Norwich’s own Dark Knight needed help from his fellow partygoers, who were dressed as Mr Fantastic, Poison Ivy and Cyclops, to collect the bag and give it back to its rightful owner.

The drama began when a stranger approached Sonni and his friends as they queued outside a bar. After initially seeming pleasant, the man allegedly claimed two women had stolen his cigarettes before snatching a handbag and running off.

Sonni’s swift actions meant the bag was ultimately found with all its contents intact and returned to its owner. “There’s not a lot of good things going on in the world. At the time, being able to get someone’s bag back, [making] sure she could go home safe and see[ing] someone happy again felt good”, Sonni told the Eastern Daily Press.

“Everyone needs a little bit of that in them. A little bit of Batman. You have to be brave, bold and kind.”

A TikTok clip showcasing his brave actions has racked up over 300,000 views. Sonni frequently shares content on the social media platform dressed as various superheroes, including Daredevil and Cyclops, though this particular outing enabled him to use his outfit for something more meaningful.

Despite his courageous deeds, Sonni acknowledged his day-to-day existence is far removed from that of Batman’s billionaire alter ego, Bruce Wayne. He’s employed at a local café while nurturing his love for filmmaking.

“I’m a bog-standard guy, to be honest, I currently work at a café, but I’m a creative at the core. I love films and have four or five years of experience in that industry.

“I didn’t want to jump off rooftops or beat people up. I just want to make sure everyone else is all right. Sincerely, that’s what [Batman] is about. He’s a protector. I just hope more people will be inspired to do the same if they see someone being mugged or feeling uncomfortable on a night out.”

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Norfolk Police have confirmed that officers were approached for help during their regular patrols on Saturday, 19th September. No arrests were made.

A police spokesman said: “Officers on routine night-time economy patrols in Norwich were approached by a member of the public, on Saturday, September 19, who requested help to find a missing bag.”

The spokesman added: “Following enquiries at the scene, the bag was located with all of its contents intact and subsequently returned to its owner.”

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Cambridge-filmed Ludwig series two finale airs this week

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BBC One’s acclaimed detective series Ludwig is drawing to a close after six episodes.

The second series of the beloved drama, starring comedian David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin, launched in August and has proved a resounding hit with viewers.

Filmed on location in Cambridge, the show follows David’s character, master puzzle-setter John ‘Ludwig’ Taylor, alongside his sister-in-law Lucy, portrayed by Anna. The British mystery drama has been lauded as the “ultimate comfort food” in crime television, making its conclusion all the more bittersweet for devoted fans.

The second series has picked up where the first left off, with Ludwig serving as a Crime Scene Consultant, working alongside DCI Russell Carter (Dipo Ola) to crack “impossible” cases for the Cambridge Police Authority, reports Wales Online.

The sixth and final episode of series two will broadcast on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday, September 24. The synopsis for the finale reads: “A shocking death that strikes close to home leaves John shaken when all avenues point to Joanne Kemper. The clock is ticking, but the Taylors are no closer to understanding how it all fits together.”

“With everything laid out on the table, John and Lucy must place their trust in those around them as the investigation comes to a head. Has Kemper finally made a wrong move? Will Ludwig ensure that justice is served before another life is lost?” With the drama now concluded, BBC bosses have confirmed what will replace Ludwig.

Starting next Thursday, 1 October, The Celebrity Traitors returns with Claudia Winkleman once again at the helm.

Series two will air from 8pm, featuring a fresh lineup of celebrities competing in the ultimate game of detection, trust, and betrayal, vying for a charity cash prize of up to £100,000. The main programme will be followed by The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked at 9:15pm.

Confirming the scheduling, the BBC announced: “The Celebrity Traitors series two begins on Thursday 1 October 2026 with an extra-long opening episode at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The series airs two nights a week on Thursday and Friday evenings at 8pm.”

The multi-award-winning series boasts a stellar cast this time round, including singer James Blunt, actor Bella Ramsey, comedian Joe Lycett, presenter Maya Jama, and Welsh actor Michael Sheen.

Explaining his decision to take part, Joe Lycett said: “Because – I’m going to say it – it’s the best show on TV. The first series was just such phenomenally good television, and I didn’t think that it could be bettered, and then the celeb series came along. The last episode was beautiful.”

Ludwig will air on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday, September 24.

Wales earned plaudits but Craig Bellamy wants more from his side, after admitting they were forced to suffer in their narrow 1-0 defeat in Portugal.

Joao Felix’s deflected strike proved enough to earn victory in Lisbon for the hosts, who also saw Cristiano Ronaldo’s effort ruled out by VAR.

It was a winning start to the Nations League title defence for Portugal and for new manager Jorge Jesus.

Despite being under pressure for long spells in Lisbon, Bellamy’s injury-hit side ended strongly as Brennan Johnson and Lewis Koumas both went close to snatching a draw.

“It was a difficult game for us. We had to suffer a lot,” said Bellamy.

“I think that’s the longest we’ve been in a game without the ball.

“We could have done more with the ball but I’m beyond proud as well.

“We have a lot of players who weren’t here. That’s OK, we can handle it.

“A lot of players who don’t play, week-in, week-out. So for them to use the energy they were able to, we’ve got to have a big heart to be able to do that. They’ve always shown that and they showed that again.”

The number of small-boat migrants who have reached Britain under Labour is larger than the entire British Army.

The deepening crisis in the Channel saw 781 migrants arrive on Wednesday – the highest daily tally this year. It pushed the total since the general election to 83,279 – passing the Army’s 83,000 soldiers, said Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.

‘Labour has let an entire army-sized population cross the Channel illegally,’ the Tory frontbencher said. ‘More people have arrived in small boats than we have soldiers defending Britain. That is completely bonkers.

‘Labour has lost control of our borders and seems utterly incapable of getting it back.’

He added: ‘The Conservative plan is to end hotels and benefits for illegal immigrants and instead deport them.’ 

Amid growing concerns over Labour’s response to the crisis, this week saw two dinghies reach UK shores without being intercepted by Border Force.

Cabinet minister Lucy Powell admitted the Government ‘can’t stop everything all of the time’ as she was grilled over a week of chaos.

Wednesday’s arrivals beat the previous high for this year of 752 on July 29, and mean 1,085 migrants reached Britain in the first three days of this week. There were further arrivals yesterday but numbers are yet to be officially confirmed.

The total number of small migrants to enter Britain since the general election is 83,279 – passing the Army’s 83,000 soldiers (Pictured: A group of people thought to be migrants brought in to the Border Security Command compound in Dover, Kent)

The surge in crossings may indicate that traffickers are no longer experiencing problems obtaining dinghies and other maritime equipment such as outboard motors after a law enforcement crackdown restricted supply routes.

The figures will be embarrassing for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who claimed on September 2: ‘We are boosting officer numbers to record highs to crack down on small-boat launches and the gangs behind them. This work is bearing fruit.’

This week’s two ‘uncontrolled landings’ included a dinghy with up to 30 migrants aboard which reached a Kent beach on Tuesday before police arrived. Officials confirmed 21 people were detained and taken to a Home Office facility, where they will be processed ahead of lodging asylum claims.

Ms Mahmood has ordered an urgent review of how the boats made it across the Channel unchallenged.

Education Secretary Ms Powell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘[You] can’t stop everything all of the time. Of course it’s a concern.

‘That’s why the Home Secretary has demanded and ordered this urgent review, because this is not what we want to see. This is not acceptable.’

A Border Force union – the ISU – warned that migrant boats were ‘definitely’ arriving undetected along the full length of the UK’s south coast.

The union’s Lucy Moreton said: ‘It’s absolutely, definitely happening. If no one sees them, no one sees them.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said Labour has ‘lost control of our borders’ (Pictured: Migrants try to board a smuggler’s boat) 

‘But we know that we’ve had abandoned vessels, we’ve had reports of uncontrolled landings all the way down to Falmouth.’

Ms Moreton accused the Home Office of taking a position of: ‘If we don’t look for it, we don’t know it’s happening. We don’t know it’s happening, we don’t have to deal with it.’

A former senior Home Office civil servant said the whole of the south coast should be monitored for migrant crossings, not just the narrowest section of the Channel near Dover.

Ex-Border Force director general Tony Smith said: ‘We’ve got technology – radar and drones and surveillance – but clearly, it didn’t work on this particular occasion.’

Asked why migrants would choose to arrive on a beach rather than be rescued and processed, he said they may have wanted to ‘evade capture’ and avoid biometric checks which could flag a criminal record or that they had previously arrived illegally.

A Government spokesman said: ‘Our progress this year in tackling small boats is indisputable – with crossings down by 42 per cent and the lowest recorded over the summer months since 2020.

‘But this week’s events show that while the peaks we are seeing are far below those of previous years, we need to push further and harder in order to eradicate this vile trade.’

READ MORE: Anatomy of the Bayeux travesty: They set off from Normandy and landed here 36 hours later… inside the longest and most farcical crossing of the whole small-boat crisis – GUY ADAMS reveals what it tells us about our broken borders

It lasted more than 36 hours and involved six coastguard and Border Force vessels, one French Navy helicopter and three coaches which travelled in a blue-light convoy with seven police cars and vans.

Throw in a knife-wielding hard-Right YouTube personality in a speedboat, plus an angry mob of balaclava-clad supporters and the whole thing adds up to an extremely expensive Anglo-French farce.

The so-called Bayeux Travesty, which this week saw 60-odd migrants make what is undoubtedly the longest and most chaotic Channel crossing since the rubber dinghy crisis began, speaks volumes for the broken nature of our asylum system.

Here, hour by preposterous hour, is how it all unfolded…

9.30am, Monday September 21

Fifty migrants scamper onto a sandy beach a few miles west of Port-en-Bessin, a seaside town near Bayeux in Normandy.

It’s a clear, sunny day with temperatures already in the high teens, and with the tide going out, conditions appear to be perfect for jumping aboard a 40ft rubber dinghy bound for the UK.

Like most of the craft used for Channel crossings, the vessel was imported from the Far East by people-smugglers and transported to the French coast.

Despite charging desperate migrants around £2,000 each for their passage, the gang behind this particular crossing have spent a mere £750 on their outboard motor, a 25-horsepower device made by Hangkai, a Chinese firm which makes budget equivalents of Yamaha and other Japanese brands.

It will prove to be woefully ill-equipped for the task ahead.

10am

Weighed down by its human cargo, the dinghy sets sail in a northerly direction towards England. Gendarmes watching from the shoreline duly alert the French maritime authorities. Four lifeboats and a coastguard tugboat named the Abeille Liberte (Liberty Bee) are duly scrambled to the scene, along with a French Navy search-and-rescue helicopter.

‘The boat was in a very bad way, very low in the water, with just a single outboard motor to power it,’ a spokesman for the rescue services later recalled. ‘The sea was calm and weather conditions were good, but a decision was taken to escort the boat, without intervening.’

The distance to Britain from the launch site, which is close to Omaha Beach, where thousands of Allied troops landed on D-Day, is at least 85 nautical miles.

6pm

The underpowered boat proves no match for the currents and winds that buffet the French coast, so instead of heading out to sea, the dinghy is dragged roughly 35 miles east along the coast, before being cast ashore on a beach near the town of Cabourg.

Here, as watching Gendarmes twiddle their thumbs, another ten migrants jump on board, dragging it still lower in the water.

Describing the unusual journey, a Maritime Prefecture source later told the Daily Mail: ‘We know there was a stop on a beach near Cabourg [Also on the Calvados/ Normandy coast] and that they set off again towards England. By this time there were about 60 people on board.’

According to the spokesman, the focus of the small French flotilla was on ensuring public safety, rather than on preventing the vessel from reaching the UK.

9pm

Still unable to break free of coastal currents, the dinghy has now spent 11 hours at sea. The sun has set and its passengers are cold, wet and increasingly febrile. Two of them suddenly jump into the sea. When a lifeboat approaches, the crew is informed that the migrants are suffering from hypothermia. They are therefore taken to hospital in Caen.

Pictured: The mega-dinghy with at least 60 migrants on board began its 38-hour journey escorted by the French Navy

The remaining 60-odd passengers continue to sit tight, refusing to give up their attempt to reach the UK. Britain has agreed to pay France some £662million, over the next three years, ostensibly to prevent such charades from taking place. But the local authorities seem unwilling to stop this particular boat.

Explaining why the group is allowed to remain at sea, despite the growing risk to life and public safety, a spokesman says: ‘This operation is also carried out within the known and delicate context of the migrants’ refusal of assistance, as they are determined to take all risks to reach the United Kingdom.’

2am, Tuesday September 22

A falling tide, which bottoms out at 2.08am, has finally pushed the dinghy out to sea and, with the help of an almost full moon, it begins to make slow progress towards Britain.

Although the French Navy’s helicopters appear to have returned to base, it continues to be shadowed by the Abeille Liberte and two coastguard lifeboats.

The passengers, who are all young men, are by now exhausted. Those lucky enough to have lifejackets have been moved to the sides of the boat, where they spend the night sitting upright with feet dangling in the water. The migrants without orange safety devices are crammed into the bottom of the dinghy.

8.30am

A social media personality and far-Right activist named Daniel Thomas has been following the Abeille Liberte’s overnight progress via the AIS tracking system that all large ships carry.

The privately-educated 37-year-old former builder, who was jailed in 2016 for attempting to kidnap a man at knifepoint over an alleged drug debt, now runs Patriot Platform, a YouTube channel which live-streams footage of anti-migrant demonstrations. And today, he’s going to be creating some viral content.

Speaking to followers from an orange rubber dinghy, he explains that he’s travelling towards a French vessel which set sail the previous morning ‘from the beaches where our grandfathers fought’.

11am

When day broke, the migrants were still able to see the French coast. But some five hours later, they are closing in on the maritime border, roughly 45 nautical miles from Cabourg, which marks the start of British territorial waters.

Pictured: Before the French sailors handed over to the RNLI in the Channel

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The French authorities, which continue to shadow the vessel, call HM Coastguard to alert them of the incoming dinghy.

This triggers a well-worn emergency response procedure which involves the RNLI instructing two of its most experienced lifeboat crews, from Hastings and Eastbourne, to head out into the Channel to meet the migrant dinghy.

According to the RNLI’s tracker, Eastbourne RNLI was called out at 11.09am and Hastings, at 11.11am. They are to be supported by a UK Coastguard aeroplane.

12pm

Thomas, who is 18 miles off the south coast, catches sight of the Abeille Liberte. It takes another hour for his fishing dinghy to pull up alongside it.

The activist ignores a request from the French vessel to move away from them and instead spends the next two hours in an uneasy stand-off, entertaining viewers of his live-stream by shouting occasional insults in the general direction of the migrants and taunting the Gallic coastguards by calling them ‘French frogs’, as well as ‘sausages’.

Pointing towards the ‘absolutely rammed’ dinghy, he’s also seen shouting: ‘We want our money back. This is not what we paid for. We paid for you French frogs to take them back to France.’

3pm

Following the arrival of the RNLI, the migrants are transferred to two British lifeboats, leaving their dinghy empty.

Thomas, who is videoing the spectacle, describes the lifeboatmen as ‘a personal taxi service into our nation’, at one point shouting: ‘Lads, how do you sleep at night?’

4.30pm

Once the migrants have disembarked, Thomas records himself motoring up alongside the dinghy. After declaring ‘this is what needs to happen to every one of these boats’, he takes out a knife and begins slashing its inflatable sides.

A French coastguard has meanwhile boarded the now-punctured vessel and is attempting to secure it to his lifeboat so that it can be towed back to Normandy.

Thomas confronts him, shouting: ‘You are in English territory. This is England. This is not France any more, OK?

‘Get off the boat. You’ve got time to get off the boat!’

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

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Motoring away, he adds: ‘Now try and take that boat back to France! You traitors! Traitors!’

Explaining his decision to puncture it, he adds: ‘We wanted to make sure that boat is not taken back to France and used again. That’s one boat that will not be used again.’

5pm

Thomas catches up with the RNLI boats, which had turned off their location tracking devices in an unsuccessful attempt to stop him from following them, and are now a couple of miles from the scene of the original handover.

He films the migrants being decanted onto the Border Force’s ship HMC Vigilant and invites supporters to head to Fort Blockhouse, a Victorian sea fort in Gosport where sources have informed him that they are to be brought ashore.

‘Anyone in the Portsmouth, Gosport, Southampton area, come to the Fort’, he says. ‘This boat is now coming to Portsmouth. Portsmouth is now a clear destination, like Dover, for the invasion of our country.’

Thomas instructs supporters to avoid bringing alcohol to the scene of the protest. ‘Remain calm. Do this the right way. This is a fight for the future of our nation. It’s not just a day out, having a pop at the Old Bill.’

6pm

On the streets of Gosport, Thomas’ supporters have other ideas. Between 150 and 200 of them have now turned up, many wearing black balaclavas and wrapped in flags.

As crowds of masked protesters confront a line of riot police, to chants of ‘let them drown’ sung by a child over a megaphone, occasional scuffles break out. According to Hampshire police, two men from Salisbury, aged 19 and 36, are arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, while four people from Gosport – two men aged 33 and 67, and two women aged 31 and 32 – are held on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker. The 67-year-old is also held on suspicion of careless driving.

Many locals are unimpressed. ‘I’ve got two autistic daughters aged eight and five and they’re absolutely terrified, too scared to come out of the house’, a 48-year-old resident who gave his name as James told the Daily Mail.

‘They’re a bunch of narrow-minded idiots thinking they’re here for King and country when really they’re just morons.’

7pm

Ugly scenes have convinced the authorities to abandon plans to disembark the illegal migrants in Gosport. Instead, they have decided to change plan and use the RNLI lifeboats and Border Security Command ship to transport the young men more than 100 miles east towards Dover.

Police officers inform demonstrators: ‘We’ve been told to let you know that there will be no landing here this evening,’ and encourage them to leave.

Several attempt to adjourn for a drink. But several local pubs, including the Fighting Cocks, a few hundred yards from Fort Blockhouse, have decided to close their doors to avert trouble.

9pm

Empty coaches that had been sent to Gosport to pick up the migrants are now no longer needed in the town. So they are given a blue-light escort onto the motorway, with videos showing them being accompanied by at least seven police cars and vans.

George Madgwick, a local Reform UK councillor who posted the footage on X, said: ‘Unbelievable scene. Coaches that were planned for migrants to get on in Gosport being escorted from Hampshire by a larger motorcade than what the Prime Minister or King would get. This has to be seen to be believed.’

10pm

More than 36 hours after setting sail from the beaches of northern France, roughly 60 migrants are brought ashore in Dover and taken to Manston processing centre, completing the longest, and almost certainly most farcical, dinghy crossing in the history of the ongoing crisis.

Thomas is refuelling his Audi at a BP service station when two police cars descend on the scene.

Footage uploaded to social media soon afterwards shows an officer telling him: ‘Step out of the car please, sir, OK? At this moment in time we have information to suggest that you were involved in criminal damage.’

Thomas replies: ‘Yep, yep, can I just… give me my phone. I want my phone to be on, please.’ An unknown woman adds: ‘The cameras are on, let go of the phone.’

The officer continues: ‘At this point in time, you are under arrest – you do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence…’ Thomas replies: ‘I understand.’

The officer adds: ‘The information that I’ve been given is that you’ve been involved in criminal damage that has recklessly endangered someone’s life, OK?’

A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesman later releases a statement saying: ‘A man has been arrested after a boat that had an emergency responder on board was damaged in the English Channel.’

Last night Hampshire Police confirmed that Thomas had been charged with criminal damage and failing to disclose the PIN to his phone after he was filmed slashing a boat in the English Channel with a rescue crew member on board.

Additional reporting: Peter Allen and James Fielding