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A former spokesperson for the British Army has said that "Nato has to show its teeth" after a Russian warship opened fire on a British sailing vessel in the Channel.

Major Mike Shearer told GB News: "It warrants probably Nato invoking article four of the treaty. Even individually, as a standalone incident, one could maybe be swayed one way or the other. However, when you consider all the other acts of aggression that have occurred in recent weeks and months, there is no question that Nato boundaries are being tested.

"Russia continues to press to test to see what we will do. They started that in 2014 when they invaded the Crimea. Shame on the United Kingdom, shame on the United States for not honouring the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 which said that they would offer protection to Ukraine if they got rid of their tactical nuclear weapons.

"But here we have today, within the last 24 hours, there about a sailing vessel, a recreational sailing vessel, having shots being fired over their bow, there is no need for that.

"As a recreational sailor, as a qualified yacht master, I know the rules of the road, so to speak, of the sea, and if a vessel is confused of another vessel's movements, you simply sound your ship's horn five times. That means make your intentions clear. I don't know what you're up to. That is enough.

"Now, I heard the couple say that they changed their aspect by two degrees. I mean, that's not an awful lot, if I'm to be honest. However, in line with what I've said about the provocations that' havebeen going on, these are not warning shots, these are provocative shots."

He added: "Nato has to show its teeth, and I think simply by invoking article four, everyone knows of article five, an attack on one is an attack on all.

"I'm not saying for a moment that we immediately go to war with Russia. What I am suggesting is that we need to start showing our teeth now.

"Individually, as a country, we are in dire straits, as we know…because we've got nothing in our navy, nothing in our army, we've got nothing in our air force.

"Article four suggests that when a Nato state member feels that their territories, their democracies, their way of life, their freedoms are under threat, they can invoke article four, where all Nato members sit down, they discuss it and decide the way ahead, and I think we're at that place now."

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