I'd be surprised if you have ever flown VFR in the UK. If you have, you would know that it reqiures a degree of situational awareness higher than most other places.
I would be interested to know what you base the above assertion on, and respectfully I beg to disagree. Matter of fact I found VFR flying in the UK to be rather dull, compared to the other eight countries I have VFR experience on.
I only say this because people might be misled to think that because they can fly comfortably in the UK, flying abroad will be a piece of piss, which it is not (this is not to say people should not try it, au contraire, it's a highly educational and most fulfilling experience--should be compulsory for aspiring commercial types
)
As for the original question, I wouldn't think being a few miles short would matter as long as the intent is there, but as usual, these things are better (and authoritatively) answered by a quick call/e-mail to the CAA.