‘Absolutely flabbergasted’: Ben Leo in furious rant as French police storm beach to stop migrants crossing the Channel: ‘We used to rule the waves!’

French police were seen running after the migrants, but they were not successful in preventing some from boarding the dinghies.

The incident came a day after 12 migrants died in a tragedy on the Channel as they attempted to make the perilous journey to UK shores.

Ben questioned on GB News why more can’t be done to address the unlawful journey.

“Just like a lot of our viewers and probably a lot of the nation, I just feel absolutely flabbergasted”, he said.

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“A nation which once ruled the waves, we conquered the world with our navy. Now we can’t stop dinghies from their equivalent of Tesco coming across the Channel.

“It’s frankly surd. We got bogged down in these conversations about legalities and law and policy and whether the French will do it, but when it comes down the actual facts, people coming across in rubber dinghies en masse is just insanity.”

Ben also suggested the Border Force and police officers are provided with further assistance.

“I’m sure there’ll be thousands of British people who are willing to volunteer to patrol British and French beaches”, he said.

“Why can’t we just patrol the beaches with a good army of people and slash these boats with knives?”

Alp Mehmet from Migration Watch told Ben that the French may have something to say about such a proposal.

“It’s just not realistic. It’s not the way we operate”, he said.

“Ask the French why, they won’t do it. We have been trying for years to have joint patrols with them and they won’t accept it.

“This is something that will go on and on, partly because our Government won’t do anything serious about it, but it’s also the French and the EU (European Union).”

Up to 65 people were rescued in Tuesday’s incident, which the Prime Minister branded “shocking and deeply tragic”, telling MPs in the Commons: “We must have a renewed determination to end this.”

His comments came after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said “vital” efforts to dismantle “dangerous and criminal smuggler gangs” and to boost border security “must proceed apace”.

French interior minister Gerald Darmanin reportedly called for a UK-EU migration treaty to curb crossings in the wake of the tragedy.

But Downing Street rejected this, with a spokesman saying: “We have no plans to be part of an EU scheme on asylum, but we will continue to work with European partners to shut down smuggling routes and smash those criminal gangs.”