Gib tug-of-war: Rock PM 'delighted' at Spain's threat to go to UN and Cameron announces 'possible' legal action

“Spain's foreign affairs minister seems to be considering referring the issues in the dispute between Gibraltar and Britain, and Spain, to the international courts,” Picardo commented yesterday. (Monday).

“[He] appears to have realised at last that this is the sensible and civilised way to resolve conflicts, as opposed to his illegitimate and over-the-top border inspections.”

Picardo says Spanish authorities' behaviour is merely 'taking it out on innocent people' and turning them into 'victims of unjustifiable political pressure'.

He 'urges' Spain to 'go ahead', adding that all legislation relating to the territorial tensions would be considered carefully by judges handling the case – including the 'application of the inalienable right' of the people of Gibraltar to 'self-determination'.

Residents on the Rock have expressed an 'overwhelming' desire to remain British, say both the Gibraltarian and UK government.

Border inspections by Spanish authorities on cars causing delays for commuters and tourists of between three and seven hours and, in the face of British leader David Cameron's complaints, foreign affairs minister José Manuel García-Margallo has announced even more stringent checks and a border-crossing fee of 50 euros.

García-Margallo has also threatened to shut the air-space over Gibraltar and put an end to its being a tax haven, one of its many attractions to both international and much smaller companies based on the Rock.

Cameron considers this approach to be 'politically-motivated' and 'totally disproportionate'.

He says he is 'seriously considering' taking legal action against Spain for what he sees as tit-for-tat actions, and adds that if the UK did so, it would be an 'unprecedented step' for the country.

Spain has already threatened legal action against Britain and Gibraltar over their decision to dump concrete blocks in the waters near the Rock, as well as over conflict about Spanish fishermen intruding into Gibraltarian seas.

Whilst Spain's president Mariano Rajoy said last week that he would 'not rule out any legal measures' and that the border checks were 'necessary' to prevent smuggling and 'not negotiable', García-Margallo has announced intentions to get Argentina on Spain's side.

The Spanish foreign minister will meet with his counterpart from the Latin American country in September, and wants the two countries to apply together to the United Nations to recover sovereignty of both Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands from Britain.

Spain, which has never been happy with Gibraltar belonging to the UK, considers that the waters around it are still Spanish property, a matter which has been an underlying source of conflict between the two otherwise allied countries.

Cameron has stressed several times to Spain, including during a 10-minute inconclusive telephone conversation with Rajoy, that British sovereignty of the Rock is 'not open to debate' and would never be relinquished.