France seized a British fishing boat as payback after a French vessel was fined £40,000 for breaking UK maritime rules, it has been claimed.

The Lady T, based in Eastbourne in East Sussex, was intercepted by a French navy ship on Thursday after being accused of fishing for whelks without a licence.

Despite Sir Keir Starmer signing away Britain’s sovereign fishing rights until 2038 last week, Lady T’s owner could be slapped with a £63,000 fine for “non-authorised fishing in French waters” by a non-EU boat.

Olivier Leprêtre, chairman of the regional fishing committee in northern France, suggested on Sunday that the boat had been seized as a tit-for-tat measure after a French skipper was fined in a landmark case last month.

The Lady T, based in Eastbourne in East Sussex, was intercepted by a French navy ship on Thursday after being accused of fishing for whelks without a licence.

The owner of he French-registered vessel Pierre D’Ambre was fined £40,000 in Newcastle Magistrates' Court after being accused of bottom-trawling.

The incident took place in the prohibited area of the Offshore Brighton Marine Conservation Zone.

Leprêtre told The Times: “Until now the French Government has always favoured discussions to repression, as opposed to the British Government which always imposes rules that are more and more restrictive, and more and more counterproductive for French fishermen. There comes a moment when you have to say: Stop.”

A French official also claimed that the Lady T was “looking for it” after entering exclusive French waters.

“One moment it was in French waters, the next moment it was next to them,” they added.

Keir Starmer and Ursula von der LeyenPA

However, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warned the incident revealed some post-Brexit truths for UK fishermen.

Philp told The Telegraph: “This shows shameful double standards. This year alone, the French have failed to stop 13,000 illegal immigrants crossing the channel – taking no action whatsoever at sea and often ushering the illegal immigrants into UK waters.

“Yet when a UK fishing vessel is in French waters all of a sudden they are magically able to act. If the French can now intercept boats then they should start stopping the boats with illegal immigrants – as international law obliges them to do.

“The Belgians can do it, and the French should too. We’ve all had enough of the French waving illegal immigrants through into UK waters.”

Farage added: “It’s all one way traffic.” He swiped: “The French can fish up to our six mile line for 12 more years and we have no force of law over their actions.”

Reform UK leader Nigel FaragePA

Pluvier caught Lady T after it had been caught in French waters without authorisation.

France’s Channel maritime prefecture said: “This operation shows the vigilance of the state’s services when it comes to protecting fishing resources and their determination to ensure respect of the regulations.

“It sends a signal to those who would be tempted to come and fish illegally in French waters.”

A Government spokesman said: “We are aware that on 22 May a UK registered vessel was detained by the French fisheries authorities.

“We are supporting a British national and we are in touch with the local authorities. Our staff stand ready to support British Nationals overseas 24/7.

“As the vessel remains subject to an ongoing investigation by French fisheries authorities, we are unable to comment further at this time.”