‘WAR THREAT’ NON..

» French boats in furious bid to

FRENCH trawlers confronted two Royal Navy gunships over Brexit fishing rights in a tense stand-off yesterday off the coast of Jersey.

The hostile scenes were described as “out of the 19th century” after HMS Severn and HMS Tamar were deployed to the Channel isle after threats from French fishermen.

And a shaken British skipper told how his boat was rammed by a trawler.

French boats later returned to their home port of Granville, in Normandy, but one fisherman warned: “We will be back – and next time it will be war.”

French President Emmanuel Macron had sent two vessels to Jersey – the day after the 200th anniversary of the death of emperor Napoleon.

Locals gathered to watch the extraordinary confrontation off the capital St Helier, with some shouting abuse and tying Jersey flags to the pier.

Before dawn, French fishermen lit flares as they tried to force a blockade. They set off fireworks, waved flags and sang the national anthem La Marseillaise. Ten boats moved to form a barrier and one trawler slipped inside the harbour.

The cargo ship Commodore Goodwill, heading for England, was unable to leave for four hours. As the tension mounted, a member of the Jersey Militia re-enactment group arrived to fire a blank musket round out to sea.

Jersey fisherman Josh Dearing described the appearance of the French as “like an invasion” and welcomed the Royal Navy patrol vessels. He said: “We’re unprotected. We have nothing except

FLOTILLA The French align in bid to blockade St Helier port ANGER Fishermen on move at harbour

REPLY Macron also sent boats

DANGER French trawler