Ex-Reform MP alerts coastguard to 'migrants' - who were a charity rowing team

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MP Rupert Lowe alerted the coastguard to imaginable migrants connected a vessel - who turned retired to beryllium a foundation rowing crew.

The autarkic Great Yarmouth MP posted a representation connected societal media connected Thursday nighttime of a vessel adjacent immoderate upwind turbines disconnected the Norfolk Coast, saying helium had alerted the authorities.

He wrote dinghies were coming into Great Yarmouth, "RIGHT NOW".

"If these are amerciable migrants, I volition beryllium utilizing each instrumentality astatine my disposal to guarantee those individuals are deported," helium added.

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But the "dinghy" was really an water rowing vessel crewed by ROW4MND, a squad of 4 attempting to enactment from Land's End to John O'Groats for centrifugal neurone illness research.

 PA

Image: Rupert Lowe MP. Pic: PA

Mr Lowe, who was suspended from Reform UK successful March, posted connected Friday greeting that it was a "false alarm" and was a vessel of foundation rowers, "thank goodness".

He said helium would donate £1,000 to their foundation "as a good done" - but warned radical to "watch retired for immoderate existent amerciable migrants".

"We received a immense fig of urgent complaints from constituents - I marque nary apologies implicit being vigilant for my constituents. It is simply a nationalist crisis," helium wrote.

"No wide deportations for the foundation rowers, but we decidedly request it for the amerciable migrants!"

 PA

Image: The ROW4MND unit were passing Great Yarmouth connected their mode to John O'Groats. Pic: PA

Police wanted to nonstop a vessel to check

It is the archetypal of 4 gruelling rows the unit volition instrumentality implicit 4 years successful an effort to rise £57m for centrifugal neurone illness research, inspired by the deaths of rugby players Rob Burrow and Doddie Weir from the condition.

Matthew Parker, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Wardley said the coastguard initially contacted them and asked if they could spot a dinghy nearby.

Ex-Royal Marine Mr Bates, a British grounds holder for rowing crossed the Atlantic solo, said it soon became wide the coastguard was asking astir their boat.

"I looked to my close and determination was possibly a twelve individuals stood connected the shoreline staring astatine us," helium told the PA quality agency.

After the coastguard accepted they were not carrying migrants, they rowed connected done the nighttime but hours aboriginal were contacted again by the coastguard due to the fact that the constabulary had "asked if they could nonstop a lifeboat retired to cheque who we were".

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Image: The unit leaving Newlyn Harbour successful Cornwall past week aft starting their situation again. Pic: PA

'I've not been mistaken for a migrant before'

A person past forwarded Mr Lowe's post, which Mr Bates said was "a infinitesimal of airy relief".

"We recovered it hilarious. I've not been mistaken for a migrant before," helium said.

"The champion remark was the 1 asking wherever the Royal Navy were erstwhile you request them. I'm a erstwhile Royal Marine, truthful the Royal Navy were connected the boat.

"But it was astir similar a vigilante-style, radical pursuing america down the beach.

"They hadn't twigged that we were parallel to the enactment for hours and not trying to land."

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Gruelling four-year challenge

The unit acceptable disconnected from Land's End connected 25 July, heading north, but atrocious upwind forced them to stop, and they decided to instrumentality to Land's End and commencement again, heading anticlockwise astir the UK.

Next year, the squad is hoping to enactment from John O'Groats to Land's End, past from California to Hawaii successful 2027 and New York to London successful 2028.

Mr Bates said: "We're rowing for hope, we're rowing to find a cure, and hopefully we'll rise £57m - we surely volition if MPs support talking astir us. Maybe Rupert volition springiness america a donation."

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