RNLI staff have faced “unacceptable” online and physical abuse since anti-migrant protests at the weekend, the charity’s chief executive has said.

On Sunday, police faced off with demonstrators who blocked roads in Portsmouth in an effort to stop 140 people who arrived at the Eastney Landing ferry port area with the RNLI’s assistance.

Chief executive Peter Sparkes said the abuse of volunteers was “wholly unacceptable in a civilised society”.

He said there had been “deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding” about the charity, and condemned threats by “those who would hide behind a balaclava or a keyboard”.

The protest in Portsmouth followed a separate demonstration the previous day, in which hundreds of masked “stop the boats” protesters brought the Port of Dover to a standstill.

Footage was subsequently posted on social media showing volunteers of the Poole-based charity labelled as “traitors”.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Sparkes said: “Recent events have generated deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding about the RNLI – our purpose, our tasking, and particularly our lifesaving work in the Channel.

“Sadly, as a result, some of our volunteers and staff have been the subject of online and, in the worst cases, physical abuse.

“The RNLI’s people represent the very best in our society, they selflessly give up their time to keep others safe.”

He continued: “We will take whatever steps we can, to care for and protect our people and their families.”

Digital Secretary Lisa Nandy said she had spoken with tech firms about how the names, addresses and photographs of RNLI staff and volunteers were reportedly shared online.

She was responding to Vikki Slade, the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, about “some very disturbing posts” on social media identifying “brave RNLI rescuers”.

Nandy was asked what more the government could do to remove posts “that put children and adults’ safety at risk through doxxing”.

She told the Commons: “It is something that the government is concerned about [and] I’m personally concerned about.”

Requests to accept the landing of RNLI boats carrying the migrants were refused by both Portsmouth harbour and Southampton Port, the BBC understands.

Sparkes described illegal migration as a “polarising subject” and urged people to “be mindful of misinformation” and the “impact it has upon others”.

He said: “Be reassured that the RNLI and our crews strive only to prevent people like you and me from drowning at sea.

“Stand by them, not against them and their families.

“I am extremely proud of and grateful for their vital lifesaving work that meant 389 families welcomed their loved one homes safely last year.”

Of the 9,058 RNLI lifeboat launches in 2025, 109 were to those “in distress in the Channel”, Sparkes said, which makes up 1.2% of the charity’s total rescue work.

He said nearly 95% of small boats were intercepted by the UK Border Force.

“Our mission, and our tasking is to rescue those women, children and men in danger of drowning,” he added.