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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| UK protests to Spain over Gibraltar border traffic delays | UK protests to Spain over Gibraltar border traffic delays |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The UK government has protested to Spain about long delays at the border with Gibraltar. | The UK government has protested to Spain about long delays at the border with Gibraltar. |
| The Gibraltar government had said Spain created "deliberate hold-ups" to traffic travelling to and from the British territory and Spain over the weekend and Friday. | The Gibraltar government had said Spain created "deliberate hold-ups" to traffic travelling to and from the British territory and Spain over the weekend and Friday. |
| Foreign Secretary William Hague called the Spanish Foreign Minister on Sunday to express "serious concerns". | Foreign Secretary William Hague called the Spanish Foreign Minister on Sunday to express "serious concerns". |
| It follows earlier accusations of Spanish incursions into British waters. | It follows earlier accusations of Spanish incursions into British waters. |
| Spain disputes UK sovereignty over Gibraltar, a limestone outcrop on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula, which has been ruled by Britain since 1713. | |
| Travel 'torture' | Travel 'torture' |
| The Gibraltar government said Spain engineered delays to traffic travelling from Spain to the British territory on Sunday. | The Gibraltar government said Spain engineered delays to traffic travelling from Spain to the British territory on Sunday. |
| That was after nearly six hours of delays for those leaving Gibraltar on Saturday in temperatures of 30C (86F) as Spanish authorities searched "practically every vehicle". | That was after nearly six hours of delays for those leaving Gibraltar on Saturday in temperatures of 30C (86F) as Spanish authorities searched "practically every vehicle". |
| On Sunday evening, the Foreign Office said that as well as the call between the two foreign ministers, the British ambassador in Madrid raised concerns with the Spanish deputy foreign minister, and Britain had "registered our protest" with the Spanish ambassador in London. | On Sunday evening, the Foreign Office said that as well as the call between the two foreign ministers, the British ambassador in Madrid raised concerns with the Spanish deputy foreign minister, and Britain had "registered our protest" with the Spanish ambassador in London. |
| It said it would not speculate on any links to the recent disagreement between Spain and Gibraltar over the placing of concrete blocks to create an artificial reef in Gibraltar's territorial waters. | It said it would not speculate on any links to the recent disagreement between Spain and Gibraltar over the placing of concrete blocks to create an artificial reef in Gibraltar's territorial waters. |
| "Our main concerns at the moment are restoring people's basic right to freedom of movement, and we want to work towards a speedy solution that will help to ease the very difficult situation and humanitarian issues at the border and enable a return to normal operations," said a spokesman. | "Our main concerns at the moment are restoring people's basic right to freedom of movement, and we want to work towards a speedy solution that will help to ease the very difficult situation and humanitarian issues at the border and enable a return to normal operations," said a spokesman. |
| Earlier, the government of Gibraltar said: "The Spanish Government has inflicted these unnecessary delays on the elderly, children and the infirm in up to 30 degrees of heat. | Earlier, the government of Gibraltar said: "The Spanish Government has inflicted these unnecessary delays on the elderly, children and the infirm in up to 30 degrees of heat. |
| "This torture has resulted in an ambulance being deployed to treat people with medical conditions. On Friday, for instance, a Spanish man had to be taken to hospital with chest pains." | "This torture has resulted in an ambulance being deployed to treat people with medical conditions. On Friday, for instance, a Spanish man had to be taken to hospital with chest pains." |
| It said the delays had affected tourists and "thousands" of people who go in and out of Gibraltar every day to work. | It said the delays had affected tourists and "thousands" of people who go in and out of Gibraltar every day to work. |
| 'Forgotten by UK' | 'Forgotten by UK' |
| Gibraltar's Deputy Chief Minister, Joseph Garcia, said: "Spain has again shown that she cannot resolve issues through normal diplomatic channels. | Gibraltar's Deputy Chief Minister, Joseph Garcia, said: "Spain has again shown that she cannot resolve issues through normal diplomatic channels. |
| "Instead she merely resorts to heavy-hand tactics at the frontier. The behaviour of the Spanish authorities is unacceptable, un-European and illegal." | "Instead she merely resorts to heavy-hand tactics at the frontier. The behaviour of the Spanish authorities is unacceptable, un-European and illegal." |
| Fellow government ministers John Cortes and Steven Linares distributed water on Saturday afternoon to motorists caught in the queues at the border, and the Royal Gibraltar Police called in 10 additional officers to help with traffic control. | Fellow government ministers John Cortes and Steven Linares distributed water on Saturday afternoon to motorists caught in the queues at the border, and the Royal Gibraltar Police called in 10 additional officers to help with traffic control. |
| Gareth Gingell, who is a member of the activist group Defenders of Gibraltar, handed out water to people stuck in the queues at the border on Sunday. | |
| He told the BBC the Guardia Civil was "only letting one car through about every 30 minutes". | He told the BBC the Guardia Civil was "only letting one car through about every 30 minutes". |
| "It's taking about four hours for people to get through," he said. | "It's taking about four hours for people to get through," he said. |
| Speaking before the Foreign Office's statement on Sunday evening, he said: "We've had to endure this kind of thing all yesterday and all the day before. I feel like we've been forgotten by the UK government." | Speaking before the Foreign Office's statement on Sunday evening, he said: "We've had to endure this kind of thing all yesterday and all the day before. I feel like we've been forgotten by the UK government." |
| The row follows a dispute earlier in the week that led the British government to say it would make a formal protest to the Spanish government. | The row follows a dispute earlier in the week that led the British government to say it would make a formal protest to the Spanish government. |
| The Gibraltar government had commissioned a contractor to create an artificial reef by placing concrete blocks into the sea on Wednesday and Thursday. | The Gibraltar government had commissioned a contractor to create an artificial reef by placing concrete blocks into the sea on Wednesday and Thursday. |
| But the Foreign Office said Spanish Guardia Civil vessels "attempted to disrupt the activities" when they unlawfully entered British Gibraltar territorial waters. | But the Foreign Office said Spanish Guardia Civil vessels "attempted to disrupt the activities" when they unlawfully entered British Gibraltar territorial waters. |
| The Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron, Royal Gibraltar Police and Gibraltar Defence Police were later deployed to prevent the disruption. | The Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron, Royal Gibraltar Police and Gibraltar Defence Police were later deployed to prevent the disruption. |
| Spanish newspaper ABC reported that the Spanish government had made a formal complaint to the British about the work. | Spanish newspaper ABC reported that the Spanish government had made a formal complaint to the British about the work. |
| The government is reported to have said that dropping several dozen spiked concrete blocks into the water could tear fishing nets, scare fish away and cause environmental damage. | The government is reported to have said that dropping several dozen spiked concrete blocks into the water could tear fishing nets, scare fish away and cause environmental damage. |
| 'Gridlocked' | 'Gridlocked' |
| A resident of Gibraltar, David Gibbins, told the BBC Saturday's delays meant the tiny British overseas territory - which has a population of less than 30,000 - was "gridlocked". | A resident of Gibraltar, David Gibbins, told the BBC Saturday's delays meant the tiny British overseas territory - which has a population of less than 30,000 - was "gridlocked". |
| "It blocked the whole town," he said. | "It blocked the whole town," he said. |
| "People couldn't go to the beach, they couldn't go to their houses and they couldn't go to see their families." | "People couldn't go to the beach, they couldn't go to their houses and they couldn't go to see their families." |
| He caught the tail-end of Saturday's queue to leave the territory. | |
| He said border guards were "checking every bit of paperwork", which he said never normally happened. | He said border guards were "checking every bit of paperwork", which he said never normally happened. |
| Spain has yet to respond to the accusations it deliberately caused the delays. | Spain has yet to respond to the accusations it deliberately caused the delays. |