FARAGE: UK MUST END FUNDING FRANCE UNTIL SMALL BOATS HALTED

‘We've got to say to the French, it's completely unacceptable... You are aiding and abetting the riminal gangs’

- Michael Knowles

BRITAIN must stop payments to France if its Navy continues to escort migrants' boats across the Channel, Nigel Farage has urged.

The Reform UK leader has accused the French of "aiding and abetting" peopletraffickers and says the UK should stop payments under Rishi Sunak's £478million deal.

He said the Government must be prepared to do "whatever it takes" to end the small boats crisis- even using the Royal Marines to escort migrants back to their launch points on French beaches.

The Express joined Mr Farage in the Channel yesterday morning and witnessed a French rescue ship follow a migrants' dinghy for several hours as it chugged towards the halfway point.

It was met in UK waters by a Border Force vessel - and the French turned for home as officials made sure the migrants were safely taken to Britain.

Mr Farage declared: "We've got to say to the French that this is a completely unacceptable practice: You are literally aiding and abetting the criminal gangs.

"Certainly, no more money.

Why have we given them [the money]? How has this Conservative Government been so bad at negotiating? "We've given them more and more and more whilst allowing this practice to continue."

Asked if Britain should cut off payments to Paris, Mr Farage said: "Yes. Just tell them we won't accept people even if they are escorted by the French Navy. We just won't do it. And if you do that [escorting], we will take them back to you.