The Principality of Sealand (/ˈsiːˌlænd/) is a micronation on HM Fort Roughs (also known as Roughs Tower),[1] an offshore platform in the North Sea approximately twelve kilometres (6+1⁄2 nautical miles) off the coast of Suffolk, England.[2] Roughs Tower is a Maunsell Sea Fort that was built by the British in international waters during World War II. Since 1967, the decommissioned Roughs Tower has been occupied and claimed as a sovereign state by the family and associates of Paddy Roy Bates. Bates seized Roughs Tower from a group of pirate radio broadcasters in 1967 with the intention of setting up his own station there. Bates and his associates have repelled incursions from vessels from rival pirate radio stations and the U.K.'s royal navy using firearms and petrol bombs.[3][4] In 1987, the United Kingdom extended its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, which places the platform in British territory.