Michel Barnier ramps up Jersey fish wars by calling Britain ‘buccaneers’

BREXIT negotiator Michel Barnier has ramped up the Jersey fish wars by calling Britain “buccaneers”.

The jibe follows French trawlers being sent packing after an attempted blockade.

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Barnier hit out when two Royal Navy ships were ordered to Jersey as 80 French boats surrounded the harbour in a protest over post-Brexit fishing rights.

The EU chief told a French political TV show: “The British are behaving like buccaneers and it’s not the first time.”

Then sounding a warning repeating French threats to pull electricity supplies to Jersey, he added: "We must clearly tell the British it cannot work like this otherwise there will be serious consequences.

"I think that the people of Jersey should be very careful as well because they depend on the continent not just for electricity but for business activity and VAT.

"We have a global deal and they must be careful, that’s the message I want to pass.

French fishermen have already blockaded the port of Boulogne and threatened to repeat the action later this month.

Meanwhile Jersey fishermen told The Sun last week they were prepared to defend the island by bombarding the enemy trawlers with rotten fruit.