A British fishing boat has been accused of carrying out a life-threatening “attack” on a French trawler, “chasing and dragging” the vessel through UK waters.

French officials accused the British vessel of cutting one of the trawler’s cables in a deliberate attack that occurred in the early hours of Jan 15 on a fishing route between Brighton and Dieppe.

The incident has sparked fears of a return to “scallop wars” that have periodically erupted between French and British ships who have mutually accused each other of trespassing and breaking fishing regulations.

The latest “fishing incident” occurred between the Henk Senior, a British fishing vessel, and the Rose de Cascia, a 19m-long French trawler, in English waters, according to French Channel and North Sea state maritime authorities.

The co-owner of the French trawler, Etienne Dachicourt, said the Rose de Cascia first passed over the fishing gear of the English vessel as both boats fished in British waters late at night.

The British “attack” allegedly took place an hour later.

According to the regional fisheries committee, the Rose de Cascia, based in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, had cast its net when the British vessel approached, switching off its AIS geolocation system.