Police are investigating footage of a far-right activist who appeared to slash a dinghy used by people smugglers in the Channel. The incident occurred after the vessel's crew member boarded it with intent to return it to France; the activist was seen shouting "traitors" and using a knife on the boat. Six individuals were arrested, including Shannon Dodds, Sally Pearson, and Toby Matthews, who face charges ranging from assault to racially aggravated public order offenses.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-24,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 22, 37-year-old Daniel Thomas, also known as "Danny Tommo," was filmed using a knife to slash an empty migrant dinghy in the English Channel while a French rescue worker was still aboard. The incident occurred after the migrants had been picked up by the RNLI and were being escorted back towards France. Thomas, who has led anti-migrant protests under his group Patriot Platform, live-streamed the event on social media, shouting “You’re in English territory.” He was arrested at a petrol station in Hampshire on September 27 for criminal damage with intent to endanger life and endangering the safety of a vessel. The migrants originally traveled from Normandy and were taken to Dover for processing. Local authorities had previously blocked roads during protests organized by Thomas and his supporters, who wore black balaclavas, in attempts to prevent migrants from entering the UK. Thomas remains in custody as investigations continue. This incident highlights growing tensions over migration routes used by small-boat people smugglers along the English coast. Tommy Robinson, another far-right activist, shared footage of Thomas's arrest on social media, alleging it was an effort to "stop the invasion of our country." The exact location and circumstances of Thomas’s detention remain undisclosed in official statements from British authorities. Additionally, a dozen protesters were spotted near Dover, where local police had blocked off nearby roads to prevent further disruptions. Reports suggest that routes for small-boat migrants are shifting westward along the coast away from Kent. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed the arrest but did not release Thomas’s identity until formal charges were filed. His case is under active investigation by law enforcement agencies.
Written for “Danny Tommo Dinghy Slashing Arrest Ch…” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 19 other(s) covering the same event.
The 37-year-old appeared to shout “traitors” having used a knife to cut the side of the vessel, that had been used by people smugglers to transport migrants in the Channel.
asserted
that → appear → Channel
In footage on YouTube, he could be seen slashing and stabbing the dinghy after a crew member boarded to apparently take the vessel back to France.
uncertain
member → see → France
On Wednesday evening, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said three people have been charged after they gathered at the marina where they thought the boat’s passengers were due to arrive.
asserted
passengers → say → marina
Six people were arrested by officers during the evening, the force said.
asserted
force → arrest → evening
Shannon Dodds, 32, of Gosport has been charged with two counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker.
asserted
Dodds → charge → worker
She has been remanded in custody to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on Thursday.
asserted
She → remand → Thursday
Sally Pearson, 31, also of Gosport has been charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker and a racially aggravated public order offence.
asserted
Pearson → charge → worker
She has also been remanded in custody to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on Thursday.
asserted
She → remand → Thursday
Toby Matthews, 33, from Gosport, has been charged with common assault of an emergency worker.
asserted
Matthews → charge → worker
He was bailed to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on November 9.
asserted
He → bail → November
A 19-year-old man and a 36-year-old man from Salisbury, who were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, have been bailed with conditions until December 22 while inquiries continue.
asserted
inquiries → arrest → December
A 67-year-old man from Gosport was handed a Fixed Penalty Notice for driving without due care and attention.
asserted
man → hand → care
He was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and has been bailed with conditions until December 22 while inquiries continue, the force added.
asserted
force → arrest → December
Some of the protesters in Gosport wore black clothing and face coverings, and chanted “send them back”, wrongly assuming the boat would be guided to the Hampshire coast.
asserted
boat → wear → coast
In fact, it docked in Dover, Kent, at around 12.30am on Wednesday after 51 migrants on board reportedly refused help from a French ship and spent 33 hours at sea.
uncertain
migrants → dock → sea
In a video published on X on Wednesday morning, Mr Thomas branded the latest migrant arrivals a “sad day for the country” but argued that pressure from protesters “worked in some respects” because it stopped arrivals coming into Gosport.
asserted
it → publish → Gosport
Hampshire Police said two men from Salisbury, aged 19 and 36, had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass; and four people from Gosport – two men aged 33 and 67, and two women aged 31 and 32 – were held on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.
asserted
people → say → worker
The 67-year-old was also held on suspicion of careless driving.
asserted
old → hold → driving
The migrant dinghy left the Normandy coast on Monday and was shadowed by a French coastguard vessel, with authorities declaring the occupants had refused help as they were “determined to take all risks to reach the United Kingdom”.
asserted
they → leave → Kingdom
A Government spokesperson 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.”
asserted
Command → say → arrival
It had been expected that the migrants would be taken to Gosport, with local MP Dame Caroline Dinenage saying the Home Office had told her it was “increasingly likely that a small boat will need to be disembarked in the local area in the coming hours”.
But the vessel carrying the migrants headed east, later arriving in Dover where migrants were seen disembarking wearing orange life jackets and carrying personal belongings.
asserted
migrants → expect → belongings
Around a dozen protesters were spotted in the area, with local police having blocked off a nearby road.
asserted
police → spot → road
Routes used by small-boat people smugglers appear to be changing, and UK authorities are understood to have plans to deal with small-boat arrivals further west along the coast than Kent.
asserted
authorities → use → Kent
Earlier this month, a dinghy was met by lifeboats from the Isle of Wight having set off from the Cherbourg area, triggering protests in Portsmouth.
asserted
dinghy → meet → Portsmouth
It is thought to have made one of the longest journeys of any small boat in the Channel.
asserted
It → think → Channel
Two other migrant boats have also managed to land undetected in the UK on Monday and Tuesday this week, the first time in a year that there have been unescorted landings and the only time since the start of 2023.
asserted
boats → manage → 2023
The thousands of migrants crossing the Channel are usually brought to shore by Border Security Command or RNLI boats.
asserted
thousands → cross → boats
A Home Office spokesman said 21 people who landed on Tuesday had been detained.
asserted
who → say → Tuesday
French police are also investigating whether the death of a man found on a beach in northern France on Wednesday is linked to a Channel crossing.
asserted
death → investigate → crossing
Some 17,480 migrants have arrived after crossing the Channel by boat so far this year, including 5,011 since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.
asserted
Burnham → arrive → 5,011
The Aporia
