An MP who mistook a team of charity rowers off the Norfolk coast for “illegal migrants” has defended his actions, saying he makes “no apologies” for being vigilant despite wasting police and coastguard resources.
Independent MP Rupert Lowe sparked a false alarm on Thursday evening when he posted a photograph on X showing a boat near wind turbines off Great Yarmouth, declaring “Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW” and claiming he had alerted authorities about potential illegal immigration.
The vessel turned out to be a £75,000 cutting-edge ocean rowing boat crewed by ROW4MND, a team raising money for motor neurone disease research who found the incident “hilarious” after being repeatedly questioned by coastguard and police.
Despite the embarrassing mix-up, the former Reform UK MP refused to apologise on Friday morning, stating: “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.”
The 67-year-old MP for Great Yarmouth pledged to donate £1,000 to the charity as “a well done to the crew” but maintained his stance on immigration, adding: “No mass deportations for the charity rowers, but we definitely need it for the illegal immigrants!
The four-person crew – Matthew Parker, Mike Bates, Aaron Kneebone and Liz Wardley – were contacted by HM Coastguard asking if they could see any migrant dinghies nearby, before officials realised they were questioning the very boat that had triggered the alert.
Mike Bates, a former Royal Marine and British record holder for solo Atlantic rowing, told reporters: “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.”
He added with amusement: “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 crew described how Lowe’s post led to what they called an “almost vigilante-style” response, with people following them along the beach. Hours after their initial contact with authorities, police asked the coastguard to send a lifeboat to check their identities again.
Trevor Wainwright, Labour leader at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, criticised Lowe’s actions as “scaremongering”, stating: “It would not have taken a genius to take out a pair of binoculars and spot it was a group of rowers. You walk along the beach and you will see dozens of boats out at sea.”
The charity team responded with their own Instagram post, writing: “In what we are sure was an honest mistake, Greater Yarmouth MP and ex @southamptonfc chairman @rupertlowe10 spotted the team rowing along the coast, and identified them as potential illegal migrants.”
They added: “Thankfully the police and coastguard consist of predominantly adult land mammals, complete with working brain cells, and so immediately realised the lunacy of illegal migrants choosing to invade the country using a £75,000 cutting edge ocean rowing boat.
The crew had set off from Land’s End on 25 July as part of an ambitious four-year fundraising campaign inspired by rugby legends Rob Burrow and Doddie Weir, who both died from motor neurone disease. They aim to raise £57 million – representing the shirt numbers worn by Weir (5) and Burrow (7).
Their current journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats is the first of four gruelling challenges. Next year they will row back from John O’Groats to Land’s End, followed by a Pacific crossing from California to Hawaii in 2027, and culminating with an Atlantic row from New York to London in 2028.
A spokesperson for ROW4MND said: “Over the past two weeks they have faced big waves, high winds, route changes and Storm Floris, but being shopped as illegal immigrants by a sitting Member of Parliament really takes the biscuit.
The incident highlights the geographic improbability of Lowe’s concerns – the distance from Calais to Great Yarmouth is 113 miles across the North Sea, making it an extremely unlikely and dangerous route for small boats attempting to reach Britain.
Lowe, who was elected as a Reform UK MP in July 2024, has been a vocal advocate for stronger immigration controls and mass deportations. He was expelled from Reform UK in March 2025 amid allegations of threats towards party chairman Zia Yusuf, though the Crown Prosecution Service later announced he would not face criminal charges.
The MP has previously faced criticism for his inflammatory rhetoric on immigration, including threats to protest outside a Winterton care home for vulnerable adults following unfounded rumours it would house asylum seekers.
His initial post on Thursday evening stated: “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.”
The charity crew, who have already raised over £107,000 for motor neurone disease research, said the incident provided “a moment of light relief” during their challenging journey. Bad weather had initially forced them to head into the Irish Sea before they reversed course and headed east along the English Channel.
Mr Bates concluded philosophically: “We’re rowing for hope, we’re rowing to find a cure, and hopefully we’ll raise £57 million – we certainly will if MPs keep talking about us.”
The incident serves as a reminder of the real challenges facing genuine charity fundraisers attempting extraordinary feats, while also highlighting the sometimes overheated rhetoric surrounding immigration in British politics.
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