A Hampshire anti-migration activist has travelled into the English Channel after claiming he intends to meet a small boat reportedly making its way towards the UK.

Danny Tommo, whose real name is Daniel Thomas, was livestreaming from a vessel on Tuesday, 22 September, as he headed into the Channel.

The Hampshire-based activist said he was attempting to locate the small boat amid reports it was travelling across the Channel after leaving the French coast.

At this stage, there has been no official confirmation of where the small boat is heading or where those on board may eventually be brought ashore.

Reform UK councillor George Madgwick had earlier claimed that a vessel appeared to be travelling towards Hampshire and potentially the Isle of Wight.

He said the French vessel Abeille Liberté appeared to have been accompanying a small craft from the French coast towards the middle of the Channel.

Those claims had not been officially verified at the time they were made.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been approached for further information.

Thomas, 37, is from the Hayling Island area and founded the Patriot Platform, an anti-migration campaign group. He has recently been involved in demonstrations concerning small-boat crossings and migrant arrivals.

The developing incident follows a previous small-boat crossing earlier this month which ended off the south coast after a vessel travelled from the Cherbourg area.

Officials said at the time that the unusually long journey was believed to be an isolated occurrence rather than evidence of a new crossing route.

Further information about Tuesday’s incident is expected as the situation develops.