They paint Spanish colours on Gibraltar number plates

(Photo: europasur.es)

ALGECIRAS The Spanish media is talking about a denuncia made by a Gibraltar man who claims that the number plates on his car was painted over with the Spanish colours while he and his family were shopping at the Puerta Europa mall in Algeciras. Clive Freyone says that his daughter's boyfriend's car also suffered similar vandalism at the same place and time: two red stripes at top and bottom of the plates. The Royal Gibraltar Police says that it can confirm the fact but 'for obvious reasons' can do little about it. The shopping mall's management says that although it tries to help in vandalism matters in its parking facility, this is 'open and free' and therefore has no responsibility. Freyone also stated, according to local reports, that he is aware that other similar damage has been reported by people he knows in Gibraltar. This follows an incident whereby a Gibraltarian woman had a Spanish flag removed in the luxury resort of Sotogrande last week; the flag was replaced after the matter became public. It is easy to assume that these incidents are the indirect result of the fishing rights dispute currently in the headlines.