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| Rupert Lowe MP mistook charity rowers as possible 'illegal migrants' | Rupert Lowe MP mistook charity rowers as possible 'illegal migrants' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rupert Lowe says he will now be donating £1,000 to charity after his mistake | Rupert Lowe says he will now be donating £1,000 to charity after his mistake |
| An MP has admitted he mistakenly thought a charity rowing crew could have been "illegal migrants". | An MP has admitted he mistakenly thought a charity rowing crew could have been "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". | 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. | 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, Lowe said: "As a well done to the crew, I'll donate £1,000 to their charity - raising money for MND (motor neurone disease)." | In a later post, Lowe said: "As a well done to the crew, I'll donate £1,000 to their charity - raising money for MND (motor neurone disease)." |
| The charity rowers described their confusion following Rupert Lowe's message and the subsequent reaction | The charity rowers described their confusion following Rupert Lowe's message and the subsequent reaction |
| Lowe posted about the boat at about 20:25 BST and said he had alerted the authorities. | |
| He wrote: "Authorities alerted, and I am urgently chasing. | He wrote: "Authorities alerted, and I am urgently chasing. |
| "If these are illegal migrants, I will be using every tool at my disposal to ensure these individuals are deported. | "If these are illegal migrants, I will be using every tool at my disposal to ensure these individuals are deported. |
| "Enough is enough. Britain needs mass deportations. NOW." | "Enough is enough. Britain needs mass deportations. NOW." |
| However, at 06:38 on Friday, he explained the "unknown vessel" was a false alarm. | 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. | 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!" | "No mass deportations for the charity rowers, but we definitely need it for the illegal immigrants!" |
| Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe posted the picture on X saying he would be "using every tool" to ensure they were deported | Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe posted the picture on X saying he would be "using every tool" to ensure they were deported |
| Lowe has been vocal in his calls for stronger measures to tackle illegal migration, advocating mass deportations. | 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. | 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. | 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". | 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. | 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. | "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." | "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." |
| Mike Bates (left) said it was "almost vigilante-style" how people watched and followed them down the beach | Mike Bates (left) said it was "almost vigilante-style" how people watched and followed them down the beach |
| Mr Bates said it was "almost vigilante-style" how people followed them down the beach. | 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. | 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. | "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? | "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." | "I just thought it was ridiculous." |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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." | 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." |
| Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. | Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. |
| Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond. | Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond. |