Former Reform MP Rupert Lowe has been accused of scaremongering after making the claim on social media yesterday evening (August 7).

In a post on X, he said he "alerted authorities" after being informed about the group off the coast of Great Yarmouth.

Good news. False alarm! The unknown vessel was charity rowers, thank goodness.

As a well done to the crew, I'll donate £1,000 to their charity - raising money for MND.

Keep going, and watch out for any real illegal migrants!

We received a huge number of urgent complaints from…

He said: "Dinghies coming into Great Yarmouth RIGHT NOW. Authorities alerted and I am urgently chasing."

Lifeboat crews along the coast received phone calls from Mr Lowe's office, who attempted to alert them to the group.

But his claims were quickly scotched and the red-faced MP, who sits as an independent, has since donated £1,000 to the charity the rowers were raising money for - the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The image shared by Rupert Lowe on X, in which he mistook a group of charity rowers for a group of migrants in a small boat (Image: Rupert Lowe)

Larry the Cat, a parody profile impersonating the pet that lives at No 10........

© Eastern Daily Press