BBC News, Norfolk
An MP has admitted he mistook a charity rowing crew for “illegal migrants”.
Independent MP Rupert Lowe shared a picture on X on Thursday, showing a boat close to wind turbines off the Norfolk coast, and wrote: “Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW”.
HM Coastguard contacted the crew to confirm their identities and it was revealed the boat contained a team of charity rowers attempting to travel from Land’s End, Cornwall, to John O’Groats, Caithness.
In a later post, Mr Lowe said: “As a well done to the crew, I’ll donate £1,000 to their charity – raising money for MND.”
Lowe posted about the boat at about 20:25 BST and said he had alerted the authorities.
He added that if the people on board were illegal migrants he would be “using every tool” to ensure they were deported.
However, at 06:38 on Friday, he explained the “unknown vessel” was a false alarm.
He said: “We received a huge number of urgent complaints from constituents – I make no apologies over being vigilant for my constituents. It is a national crisis.
“No mass deportations for the charity rowers, but we definitely need it for the illegal immigrants!”
Lowe has been vocal in his calls for stronger measures to tackle illegal migration, advocating mass deportations.
He was elected as a Reform UK MP last year but was expelled from the party in March, amid claims of threats towards its chairman, Zia Yusuf.
Lowe denied the allegations and the Crown Prosecution Service said he would not face criminal charges.
The crew of four, which included Mike Bates, a British record-holder for rowing across the Atlantic solo, said they found the post “hilarious”.
Mr Bates said: “I looked to my right and there was maybe a dozen individuals stood on the shoreline staring at us.
“I’ve not been mistaken for a migrant before.
“The best comment was the one asking where the Royal Navy were when you need them. I’m a former Royal Marine, so the Royal Navy were on the boat.”
Mr Bates said it was “almost vigilante-style” how people followed them down the beach.
Fellow crew member Matthew Parker said they had been trying find shelter and wait for the tide to turn when they saw a drone flying above and people starting to gather on the shoreline.
“You’ve got these people on the shoreline flashing torches at us,” he said.
“We’ve got the coastguard asking us questions, a police car arrives on the beach with its lights on – how has this managed to get escalated this way?
“I just thought it was ridiculous.”
The team of four had set off from Land’s End on 25 July and headed north into the Irish Sea before bad weather forced them to stop at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.
The team turned around and returned to Land’s End and then started their challenge again in the other direction.
So far they have raised more than £100,000 for charity and hope to raise even more.
Mr Bates said: “We’re rowing for hope, we’re rowing to find a cure, and hopefully we’ll raise £57m – we certainly will if MPs keep talking about us.”
