GRINCH-LIKE France president Emmanuel Macron has stepped up threats to ruin our Christmas as the fishing war turns nasty.
He warned he would trigger aggressive moves to strangle Britain’s festive trade unless Boris Johnson caves on permits for fishing boats in the next 24 hours.
It came as a French judge ordered the release of a British trawler being held by officials in Le Havre — but the French government immediately scuppered it by appealing against the ruling.
Speaking at the G20 summit in Rome last night, Mr Macron said: “The ball is in Britain’s court. If the British make no movement, the measures of November 2 will have to be put in place.”
France claims it has given Britain a document on how to meet its demands and “hoped there would be a positive response tomorrow”.
If No 10 refuses, then Mr Macron will go ahead with his plan to launch reprisals.
They include slapping a mountain of red tape on British trade and hampering the flow of toys and food in the run-up to Christmas.
Paris will also swamp British fishing vessels with checks and block them from French ports.
French ministers have also threatened to go further still by raising electricity prices for Jersey in future.
But No 10 is expected to sue the EU for breaching the Brexit trade deal if France carries out its threats.
That could ultimately result in the EU being ordered to pay compensation or face tariffs on its goods.
