incident between the Spanish vessel P74 Atalaya, and a merchant vessel in the waters to the East of the Rock in waters considered by Gibraltar to be their territorial waters

The Gibraltar Government complained on Tuesday of an incident between the Spanish vessel P74 Atalaya, and a merchant vessel in the waters to the East of the Rock in waters considered by Gibraltar to be their territorial waters, but which are not recognised as such under the Treaty of Utercht.

The Gibraltar Government says the Spanish patrol ordered the merchant vessel to move on, lacking permission to put down anchor in waters which Spain considers to be hers.

Gibraltar described the incident as ‘a very serious challenge to British sovereignty’, and ordered the boats at anchor in the area to remain. They say that no boats left the area.

Gibraltar sent out an inflatable Royal Navy launch to warn the Spanish vessel that it was in Gibraltar waters, ahead of 'HMS Scimitar' which took an hour to be scrambled. By that time the Spanish vessel had left the Gibraltar waters.

A Gibraltar Government spokesman said they did not believe that physical confrontation or diplomacy which uses armed boats is the way forward, but if Spain continued these incursions and usurpations, the United Kingdom would have to sent out the appropriate vessels to defend the sovereignty of Her Majesty in Gibraltar territorial waters.

A statement from the Spanish Ministry for Defence said that the ‘P74 Atalaya’ was acting in Spanish waters, and in respect of international legality.

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