'Spanish Armada acts in Spanish waters'

The Vencedora near Gibraltar

Ministry denies existence of incidents with the Vencedora, which is only on 'routine operations'

MADRID (Agencies) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation has once more defended its naval activity in the 'Spanish waters' surrounding Gibraltar, against accusations by the Picardo Government on the Rock, which has denounced 'incursions' of armed shipping and Customs vessels, which it considers a 'frontal challenge' and an 'intolerable affront on British sovereignty', according to Spanish media. The Spanish ministry says in a communiqué that it has no news of any incident and that the Armada (the name for the Spanish navy) is only carrying out routine manouvres in 'Spanish waters'. These so-called 'incursions' have increased in the past couple of weeks and the respective ambassadors of Spain and Britain have been called in to hear formal diplomatic complaints about the matter. In the meantime, the group calling itself Defenders of Gibraltar has raised some 8,000 signatures to demand that the Governor, Sir Adrian Jones, act against these 'incursions' by Spain into what it, and Gibraltar and Britain, say are its territorial waters.