French day tripper scheme a 'resounding success'

Guernsey's French day tripper scheme has been a "resounding success" said Committee for Home Affairs President Marc Leadbeater after criticism from Nigel Farage.

The scheme allows visitors from France to travel to Guernsey for the day, with only a national ID card.

The Reform UK leader told ITV the Channel Islands' governments had been "weak" in making that decision.

Deputy Leadbeater said he was "surprised" to hear Farage's comment, which followed the announcement that visitors to the Channel Islands from outside the UK or Ireland will need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) from 23 April.

The day tripper scheme was extended last October and Leadbeater said he hoped it would continue into the future.

"We've got far more French tourists coming over on day-trips than we ever would have done before to the bailiwick," he said.

"The tourists are benefiting from it, our economy is benefiting from it and our cultural links are benefiting from it."

Leadbeater said the agreement the ferry services operating from France have with Guernsey Customs and Immigration Service "is working just as intended".

Whilst he said it would be ideal to expand the scheme to allow travel for a weekend with only a national ID card, he said it would never happen "because it would be too difficult to administer".

Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.