The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, it has been reported, has been in contact with senior members of the Spanish government after a Guardia Civil boat crashed into runway approach lights earlier this week.
Local media reports that the vessel was chasing suspected smugglers and that despite the damage to the runway lights, flights were able to take off and land as usual.
Residents of Waterport Terraces witnessed a dramatic sea chase involving the Guardia Civil’s Rio Belelle. The pursuit ended in a collision with runway lights near the airport. There were reports of possible shots fired during the chase, prompting an investigation by the Royal Gibraltar Police.
Despite sustaining damage, the boat managed to reach Spain. The Gibraltar Government prioritised sea safety and offered assistance to Spanish agencies, though it was ultimately unnecessary.
While the incident occurred in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, the UK Government deferred any protest pending clarification from the RGP.
The collision caused visible damage to both the vessel and the airport’s runway lights, though flights remained unaffected.
I imagine the aftermath as one of those American cop shows, where the two detectives responsible (one a married straitlace from Madrid, the other a maverick Catalonian with PTSD who lives in a houseboat) are being chewed out by the Captain while he reads out the cost to the city of the post-chase bills.
Except with subtitles.
… and I presume the smugglers got away to smuggle another day while knocking back the Chianti and perfecting their mocking sadistic laugh at the authorities misfortune.
Rioja.
Good idea. I’ll get a case while stocking up on the toilet rolls and popcorn
As it happens, I have just discovered Primitivo.
Isn’t life worth living!
Ok, I like your pitch, let’s make it, only can we make one tranz and the other in a wheelchair, it’s the only way to get the funding today…
We can make the Madrid detective gay and closeted, the Catelonian female and straight, but unable to commit, and have then both fancy the pants off Philipe, the Captain’s Moroccan poolboy. Neither knows until episode six that Philipe is one of the smugglers who has been working for the Captain to rifle through his home office drawers for information… Will they be able to turn bisexual Philipe, or will they be both still stuck on desk duty having crashed a boat into an airport? The psychiatrist can be both trans and in a wheelchair if you must.
….based on a true story.
😂😂😂🤣🤣😂😂 You’re on, we can’t go wrong with dialing the Woke dial to the stop🤣🤣.
I’ve just cashed in my pension, so that gets us rolling…
Now, who is going to play Cameron?
brilliant Jim- let’s lobby Ricky Gervais to script it!
As there is no right of hot pursuit into someone else’s international waters. That’s a breach of Gibraltars sovereignty and needs a reasonable response….although I bet it’s just brushed under the carpet as the UK-EU-Spain are in the sharp end of some post Brexit negotiations about the future of gib, control of its airport and boarders…I’m suspecting a bit of a sell out of Gib by Cameroon is in the wind.
I suspect it is Jonathan, it won’t be first time Cameron has tried to stab Gib in the back…..
A bit of common sense needs to be used here. It is good to see collaboration between us and the Spanish.
There needs to be a proper response Mark, the rule of law is important and undertaking an active hot pursuit into some else’s territory causing damage and potentially endangering lives is not appropriate…..the Spanish authorities would be screaming blue murder if a UK enforcement agency had done the same thing in Spanish waters……imagine if they had run into another boat instead and killed a couple of innocent bystanders.
There have been a lot of incidents between drug smugglers and Spanish police in that area ( a coupe of officer were killed a month back when a smuggler rammed a police launch)…its getting very very hot, that’s on top of the regular incursions into British waters that have in some cases been dangerous to life and limb..including that active ramming of gib police launches in UK waters.
If it was an isolated incident that’s one thing, but the Spanish authorities regularly make incursions ( some very aggressive) into Uk waters.
Very poor seamanship…and where was the smugglers boat? The Spanish vessel just drove round in donought-style circles.
Displaying Armada levels of judgment and seamanship.
Spanish Armada or English Armada?
Plonkers.😍
How could they not see the… lights? Would you sail into a lighthouse?