GAME WORLD's video: Brexit fishing fury: How French warship was sent to UK port amid Royal Navy threat

Brexit fishing fury: How French warship was sent to UK port amid Royal Navy threat BORIS JOHNSON has faced kickback over his threat to deploy Royal Navy warships to patrol UK waters in the event of no deal but documents unearthed by Express.co.uk reveal France actually sent a gunboat to a UK port over a fishing dispute.Brexit trade talks have stalled this week over the issue of fisheries, with the EU digging their heels in on their demand for access to UK waters after the end of the transition period. With the deadline fast approaching, the Ministry of Defence confirmed four 80-metre armed vessels had been placed on standby to guard British waters from EU trawlers on January 1 if no agreement on fishing rights was reached. Mr Johnson’s stance was criticised by senior Tories including Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chair of the Commons defence committee, who called the threat “irresponsible” when attention should be focused on striking a deal. Meanwhile, former EU commissioner Chris Patten accused the Prime Minister of behaving like an “English nationalist”. However, several EU countries have been known to use warships in fishing disputes, and France once even sent one of theirs to a UK port unannounced after an incident escalated in 1972. During the Sixties and Seventies, tensions between the UK and its southern neighbour were on the rise due to repeated illegal fishing in UK waters by French vessels. Between 1964 and 1972, 37 French fishing vessels were detained and brought into UK ports, 36 of whom were charged and convicted of illegal fishing in British waters.In 1972, Edward Heath had just agreed for the UK to enter the EEC, but tensions over fishing had reached boiling point. Documents unearthed in the National Archives by Express.co.uk reveal how one particular incident blew up. It all came to a head when British fisheries protection vessel HMS Kellington arrested a French trawler called ‘Athos’ for illegally fishing in British waters on March 24, 1972. The next day, the French warship ‘L’Agile’ descended on the Port of Fishguard, Wales, without giving any prior warning to the UK Government or local naval commander. fishing brexit no deal,fishing brexit latest,brexit news,brexit update,brexit,brexit fishing,brexit news today,latest brexit news,eu brexit news,brexit latest,no deal brexit,brexit latest news,brexit talks,brexit trade deals,eu brexit,boris brexit,brexit fishing fury,boris johnson brexit,royal navy,post brexit britain,brexit extension,brexit negotiations,french warship,brexit deadline,brexit uk,wto brexit,royal navy warships,important news about brexit,brexit deal secret,brexit deal