Rhiannon Whyte’s sister explains why she joined Portsmouth protest over Channel crossings

Ms Whyte, whose sister was brutally murdered by a small boat migrant, said she became overwhelmed watching scenes of “Portsmouth being invaded”.

“I instantly burst into tears seeing it last night,” she said, adding: “So within a matter of minutes of seeing the livestream, I was dressed and in my car travelling.”

Responding to the government's condemnation of the demonstrations, she rejected claims that the protesters had behaved “thuggishly” or intimidated others.

“As a female walking into a crowd of hundreds of men and women, you would think that you’d feel intimidated,” Ms Whyte said.

“I found nothing but safety and comfort from these people. It was love. It was passion, and it was drive.”

Asked about politicians claiming the Channel crossings were falling, Alex responded: “Are they reducing or are you just getting better at hiding it?”

She said the problem was now spreading to other parts of the country, adding: “We cannot keep screaming enough to say we don’t feel safe anymore.”

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