PCC demands immediate assurances from Home Secretary over small boat landings

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones has written to the Home Secretary for a second time to raise her serious concerns over the impact of small boat landings on policing and the people of Hampshire.

It follows three incidents which resulted in two landings in Portsmouth and Gosport in the last few weeks.

Donna Jones said: “After the first incident in September, I wrote to the Home Secretary outlining why Hampshire is not a suitable landing site and why Hampshire’s geography makes boat landings acutely dangerous.

“I made clear the crossings will have an unsustainable impact on policing and communities.

“To this date I have not heard from the Home Secretary or anyone in government acknowledging the legitimate concerns I have raised.

“I want to know what conversations or contact the Home Secretary has had with her counterpart, the French interior minister, specifically around additional French resources being deployed to prevent the Normandy-to-Hampshire route being used for crossings.

“These landings are having a huge impact on policing. The level of criminality is increasing. At the most recent landing in Gosport, there were 12 arrests including four for assaulting a police officer and one for assaulting an emergency worker.

“Those who were intent on preventing the landing blocked entry and exit routes to disrupt the emergency vehicles and coaches. Officers were met with human blockades and improvised barricades. Tack and glass were placed on the ground to immobilise support vehicles. In addition, the police marine unit had to be deployed to stop small marine vessels attempting to reach the pontoon.

“Reports have been received of bins being set on fire and some residents have reported feeling scared to leave their homes during the protest activity.

“At all three events, officers were abused, assaulted and filmed, live streamed on social media alongside assumptions about their motivations, when each and every one of those officers were deployed with an absolute commitment to upholding the law and keeping the peace.

“The cost of the policing operation so far since the first small boat arrival in Hampshire is now over £800k.

“I have made a formal request to the Home Office for a full reimbursement and a commitment to reimburse all future deployments relating to small boat crossings, including protest activity.

“The scale of the police response at short notice is not only impacting Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, but also the wider policing service as other forces are providing mutual aid. That’s resulting in their communities not receiving the service and protection they deserve either.

“I once again call on the government to ensure that landings on the Hampshire coast do not become a regular occurrence and that I am included in further meetings between the Home Secretary and ministers in order for me to fulfil my responsibilities on behalf of Hampshire and Isle of Wight residents.”