Gib tug-of-war: UK 'incensed' by Guardia Civil 'stand-off' against Royal Navy fleet
Saturday, November 2, 2013 @ 8:02 PM
AN alleged 'offensive' by a Spanish Guardia Civil patrol boat against British Naval ships in Gibraltar's waters has raised hackles within the UK's ministry of defence.
The Gibraltar Squadron was reportedly protecting an auxiliary tanker from the Royal Navy fleet in seas which officially belong to the Rock on Wednesday, when the Spanish military police patrol craft, the Río Tormes, breached security protocol by passing too close to the HMS Scimitar.
British Naval officers, who were armed, ordered the Guardia Civil craft to move out of the area, but the crew allegedly refused to do so.
Baroness Hooper, a Conservative peer, said both parties pointed guns at each other, although it is not clear which side did so first.
As well as ignoring Navy officers' warnings, the Guardia Civil boat apparently collided with a boat crewed by Gibraltar's defence police, although no damage or injury was caused.
According to the UK's foreign affairs ministry, the Royal Navy acted entirely in keeping with normal procedure in such a situation.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com