London meeting confirmed

Further to PANORAMA's disclosure yesterday, that the chief minister would be having urgent talks in London today, this was subsequently confirmed by the Gibraltar government,

A statement from No.6 Convent Place said the chief minister would be having meetings in London, accompanied by the chief secretary, to meet officials on a range of issues relating to EU measures and financial services. This was being followed by a meeting at the Foreign Office this afternoon.

CONFIDENTIAL

As we reported yesterday, central to the meeting at the Treasury concern the EU Savings Directive whereby confidential information about bank deposits are required to be made between EU member states.

However, because Gibraltar is deemed to be part of the EU for Community purposes, this requirement does not apply to Gibraltar in respect of the UK itself.

This has caused concern in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man who see deposits leaving them for Gibraltar. The islanders threatened the UK that unless there was a solution by the end of this month, and the loophole beneficial to Gibraltar was sealed, they would stop supplying confidential information to London.

"MAJOR BENEFIT"

The loophole gives Gibraltar "a major tax advantage" it was said in the islands, and they want to put an end to it, even though under Gibraltar's terms of membership of the EU the Rock is entitled to be regarded as part of the UK and hence there is no 'loophole'.

The chief minister was called to London to find a way out that would effectively benefit the finance centres in the Channel islands and the Isle of Man, who are in competition against Gibraltar's own finance centre.

'CHOICE' becomes 'NO CHOICE'

On 1 July, when the directive came into force, Gibraltar and the UK said that they were having discussions "with a view to agreeing arrangements to close this gap between them as soon as possible during the next few months, on terms that would offer a choice between exchange of information and withholding tax."

However, in a statement before the talks due today, the Gibraltar government spoke of being "happy to enter into appropriate exchange of information arrangements with the UK", with there being no reference to a choice between that and withholding tax.

Further, what was initially seen as discussions "during the next few months" suddenly became an urgent matter as the islanders threatened revolt.

UK turns a deaf ear to the Gibraltar Government's pleas for a level playing field, says opposition

The Opposition said yesterday evening it is surprised that the Gibraltar Government should say that they are happy to enter into appropriate exchange of information arrangements with the UK outside of the legal framework of the EU Directive for the Taxation of Savings Income. "There is of course no legal framework because there is no legal obligation to enter into such an agreement," says a statement.

It adds: In the past Mr Caruana has indicated that it was not Government policy to enter into a voluntary agreement with the United Kingdom on exchange of information since this is not a requirement under European law. In view of the fact that the Government announced in this year's budget that Gibraltar residents are no longer required to pay tax on the income from savings and investments held outside Gibraltar, for example in the UK, there is even less reason Furthermore, when the United Kingdom was negotiating with other Member States it agreed to the introduction of a system under which individuals in some Member States would be able to elect between paying a withholding tax or having their information provided to their home tax authorities, says the GSLP/Liberal opposition.

And adds: "Although the Gibraltar Government considered that giving competitors this advantage was denying Gibraltar institutions a level playing field, and although it said it pleaded with the United Kingdom to be given equal treatment, the UK apparently turned a deaf ear to the pleas of the Gibraltar Government although it acceded to the same requests from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man."

The Gibraltar Government complained bitterly about the attitude of the UK Government. It is incomprehensible that the Gibraltar Government should have been so angry and upset at the UK attitude when it now claims that this will have no effect and that it is quite happy to do it, says the statement.

Island in the sun puts Gibraltar in the shade

The Island project is seen by some people as putting Gibraltar on the shade, as this is another example of a project for outsiders.

Nineteen luxury houses are to be built opposite Queensway Quay in 13,000 square metres of land which are currently being reclaimed using rubble from Spain.

Houses are being priced at nearly £2 million, which puts them well beyond what people in Gibraltar can afford.

Meanwhile, more and more people are being forced out of their home town in search of homes they can afford.

Complainants say that the project provides no real benefit for Gibraltar as a whole and should not have been allowed by the planning and development authority.

Someone asked: "Does it improve Gibraltar's leisure facilities? No. Does it bring more berthing for the public as a whole? No. Does it include restaurants etc that would benefit the tourist product? No. It benefits no one except those who are involved in it."

In fact, this will be an out-of-bounds island. "Entry to the area will be via a private gated security entrance with restricted access," say the developers.

Good for them!

Caruana flies to London today for top-level meeting

The chief minister Peter Caruana is flying to London today for a top-level meeting, PANORAMA got to know early yesterday. This is to do with Gibraltar's position in the EU.

A storm has been gathering strength after the Channel Islands threatened Britain with not applying the requirements of the EU Savings Tax Directive - unless Gibraltar did likewise.

The question has been stirred up by Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, fearing that if Gibraltar was not brought into line it was they who would lose out. Jersey has been saying that it will suspend the agreement with the UK if there is no solution by the end of this month.

Hence, the urgency of the meeting that is to take place tomorrow in London with the chief minister Peter Caruana and top-level UK officials which could include Dawn Primarolo, the UK paymaster-general.

Gibraltar has been accused of taking advantage of what has been described as a loophole'. Thus, while the islanders were required to provide information to London about UK resident's accounts, Gibraltar was not. The fear was that there could be a wave of investors switching over to Gibraltar.

The islanders have kicked up such a row that the UK has had to take early note of their concerns, unlike what happens when Gibraltar is concerned about something, when no one takes any notice.

Gib is in the EU...

The difference between Gibraltar and the islanders is that Gibraltar is in the EU, and they are not.

The EU Savings Directive means that information on savings must be made available between one member state and another.

Since Gibraltar is deemed to be part of the UK member state, it does not have to provide any information to the UK itself (even if it has to other member states).

On 1 July the Gibraltar government issued a press release confirming that the EU directive "does not apply as between the UK and Gibraltar."

However, the government here was already under pressure to do something about it.

The chief minister and the UK paymaster general Dawn Primarolo agreed to issue a statement which said that the EU directive applied to savings income payments made in one member state to someone resident in another member state -accordingly, because the UK and Gibraltar are not separate member states, the directive does not apply between them.

This caused an uproar in the Channel islands and the Isle of Man.

However, the UK and the Gibraltar Government did say then that they were in discussion and working together with a view to agreeing arrangements to close this gap between

them as soon as possible "during the next few months", on terms that would offer a choice between exchange of information and withholding tax.

News filters through that Gibraltar 'being forced'...

Yesterday, news started to filter from the islands that Dawn Primarolo was giving assurances to them that "the loophole which currently gives Gibraltar's finance industry a major tax advantage will be closed"

There were press reports that Gibraltar had threatened to opt out of the Savings directive - but that "Gibraltar would be forced to sign up."

This forced the Gibraltar government to issue a lengthy statement late yesterday which spoke of the government being "happy to enter into appropriate exchange of information arrangements with the UK at its request.'

We are part of the UK, or not, when it suits others...

The general view in Gibraltar that we are in the EU for what suits others and not for what is our due will now be further strengthened. "If Gibraltar is part of the UK for EU matters, then the EU Savings Directive cannot apply between Gibraltar and the UK - unless we are prepared to give up our rights," said a finance centre source. "What we are being asked is to protect the finance centres in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. ..to our detriment!"

FULL TEXT OF GOVERNMENT STATEMENT LAST NIGHT:
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION BETWEEN THE UK AND GIBRALTAR.

The Government of Gibraltar notes statements in the Channel Islands which refer to a "last minute problem" and "an initial difference of views between the UK and Gibraltar" in the implementation of the Taxation of Savings Directives between the UK and Gibraltar and demanding a "quick resolution to the problem". There have even been calls for UK to "force" Gibraltar to comply with the Directive. These remarks are based on lack of familiarity with the facts. Gibraltar already is within the ambit of and complies with the Savings Directive.

There has been no "last minute problem", nor any difference of views. Nor, as has been said has "Gibraltar signed up to the Directive". The Directive applies, and has always applied to Gibraltar as of right and obligation because Gibraltar is an integral part of the EU. However, as was stated jointly by the Gibraltar Government and the UK Government in a joint press statement issued by them on 1 st July 2005, the Directive does not apply as between the UK and Gibraltar because we are not separate member states in relation to each other.

Nevertheless, as announced jointly on 1 July 2005 the two governments are in discussion to agree appropriate arrangements for exchange of information between them outside of the legal framework of the Directive, which does not apply between them. The two Governments have jointly announced that they are working together with a view to agreeing such arrangements during the next few months. Expectations by ill informed third par-ties that this should happen by the end of this month are as inappropriate as they are unrealistic.

A spokesman for the Gibraltar Government added:

"The Crown Dependencies appear to be getting over excited about this issue. This is not a challenge or a difficult or controversial issue for Gibraltar or its finance centre, which is not orientated to or based on providing tax shelter to UK resident depositors affected by this Directive. Gibraltar's Finance Centre has developed well beyond a dependence on the sort of business that is jeopardised by this Directive. We are happy to enter into appropriate exchange of information arrangements with the UK at its request which it has indeed made. Hence the discussions now taking place and the 1st July joint statement."

Spain continues to say NO to Gib’s 350

The chief executive of the Gibraltar regulatory Authority, Paul Canessa, has rightly drawn attention in his annual report to the continued refusal by Spain to recognise Gibraltar's 350 code.

Highlighting two specific concerns of liberalisation in Gibraltar, he pointed, first and foremost, at "the continued refusal by Spain to recognise Gibraltar's IDD code (350) coupled with the European Commission's continued failure to address this problem as requested by the two complaints filed with it by Gibtel and GNC in 1996."

This means that the availability of numbers, the essential raw material, remains seriously circumscribed in Gibraltar.

It so happens that in 2003 and in 2004 ,the EC Commission took decisions that it was closing down the roaming complaint and the numbering complaint without taking action against Spain. There has been an appeal, but the cases are still pending.

The question of telecommunications was one of the issues discussed at the tripartite talks held in Portugal earlier this month.

A joint statement said that the forum had reviewed the work of the technical working group on telecommunications which had met several times since the Malaga meeting. The aim, it added, is to find a way acceptable to all sides, to increase the number of Gibraltar telephone numbers accessible from the Spanish network and to facilitate mobile roaming.

The working group was making good progress in identifying possible solutions, but it did not specify what this was.

Moratinos wants Eastside project stopped until environmental issues are cleared

by PANORAMA reporter

The Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos wants the UK to stop the Eastside project until environmental questions are resolved.

This is what the minister has told the ecology association Verdemar, which had drawn the attention of the Spanish foreign ministry to developments on the east side.

Sr Moratinos has taken sides with the ecologists, saying that the Spanish ministry shares their concern.

It has emerged that the Spanish foreign ministry has so far sent two letters to London about it, the last being just 3 weeks before the tripartite talks took place in Portugal because the Spanish government does not want to attend talks in Gibraltar.

As an EU member state that could be affected by the project, Spain has asked Britain for all relevant information, including cross-frontier impact.

A so-called reasonable period of time is being offered prior to an environmental impact study.

While they wait for a reply, the Spanish foreign ministry wants the project halted until all environmental issues are complied with.

REVEALED

Sr Moratinos has disclosed that the Spanish delegation raised this matter in the meeting held in Portugal, reiterating their arguments about the possible negative environmental impact on Spain.

At the said tripartite meeting, the chief minister was reluctant to give specific information about the issues that had been dealt with at the talks.

However, the Spaniards do not abide by any such reservations and like to disclose what suits them while the Gibraltarian public is kept in the dark from its own authorities.

The joint communique at the end of the meeting spoke of environmental cooperation!

House agrees on 'Freedom' for Loreto nuns

The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularly known as the Loreto nuns, are to receive the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar, it was unanimously agreed in the House of Assembly yesterday.

A motion presented by the government secured the backing of the opposition.

In moving the motion, the chief minister spoke of the prominent role played by the Loreto sisters in Gibraltar's education system, at one time looking after 700 children.

The award of the Freedom of the City was in recognition of 160 years service.

The nuns had been evacuated at the time of the second World War, but returned in 1945.

They were instrumental in setting up the comprehensive system of education here.

The Loreto Convent caters at present for over 200 children in what was described as a caring and supportive environment where Catholic values were paramount.

The leader of the opposition said his side of the House were supportive of the motion, and endorsed the sentiments expressed by the chief minister.

Gibraltar government accuses Spain of non-compliance with EU obligations

by PANORAMA reporter

The Gibraltar government has accused Spain of not complying with EU obligations relating to environmental projects in the Gibraltar area.

A government statement reminds that cross-border notification of environmentally sensitive projects is a requirement under EU law, but adds that "in not a single one of the many huge land reclamation projects carried out in recent years on the Spanish side of the bay of Gibraltar or of La Linea's Mediterranean coast has the appropriate planning authority in Spain complied or even tried to comply" with EU cross-border notification obligations.

It follows plans for a massive land reclamation project on the Gibraltar side led by the Australian company Multiplex. The project, the biggest ever in Gibraltar, will cost in excess of one billion pounds, and will include over 2,000 apartments, a yacht marina and a cruise liner terminal.

But questions are being asked in political circles in nearby Spain about the negative effects that could arise in respect of the adjacent Spanish coastline. The latest complaints come from a regional Spanish political party, the nationalist 'Partido Andalucista', who are asking the regional Andalusian government if they are to take any action to complain before the Spanish government or the European Union about the Gibraltar reclamation project, as we reported yesterday.

Incensed by the complaints, a Gibraltar government statement adds: "Gibraltar - as always - fully intends to honour and comply with all its European obligations including cross-border notification of environmentally sensitive projects."

In a scathing attack, it accuses those on the Spanish side who make accusations against Gibraltar of "blatant double standards" - they think that "land reclamation projects are fine when they occur on a wholesale basis across the border in Spain for the benefit of its economic and social development, but are terrible and must be stopped when they happen in Gibraltar for our economic and social benefit."

More details of proposed crematorium

The crematorium to be built in Devil's Bellows, in the Windmill Hill Road area, will be contained within an existing 2-storey building to the west of the site, said the developers.

There will be an access ramp, entrance hall, general offices and changing facilities for persons conducting the funeral service.

There will be built even a hoist to the first floor for the disabled.

The hall will include seating accommodation for up to 80 persons attending the service. Following the service , the front curtains will be drawn and rear curtains will open to remove the coffin.

The clinical waste facility will be contained in a new building to the east of the site. It will contain incinerators and other equipment.

The plans submitted for approval show that the area to the south of the crematorium will be landscaped into a garden of remembrance.

Parking spaces are also being taken care of. They will be located to the north-west below the crematorium and adjacent to the Devil's Bellows tunnel entrance.

The proposed layout separates the two functions as much as possible from clinical waste facility.

Big project for Los Barrios - thanks to Gib

A big technological project, which it is said will create 700 new jobs, is to be built in Los Barrios - thanks to the cooperation that exists with Gibraltar.

The mayor of Los Barrios Alonso Rojas was meeting the chief minister Peter Caruana in Gibraltar yesterday evening, accompanied by the chairman of the British LPC Group Salim Tejani.

The group is to instal in Los Barrios a technological park, including a paper factory and another of pharmaceuticals, said a Press release issued by Los Barrios.

The project will cost 250 million euros.

The aim of the visit here was to explain to Mr caruana what the project entailed, as it is the 'excellent relations with the Government of Gibraltar" that have led to this investment in Los Barrios.

A dozen for model search

Model Search 2005 takes place this coming Saturday at the Alameda Open Air Theatre.

The contest has attracted a total of twelve delegates and they are busy rehearsing, attending promotional events and attending workshops lead by professionals in different fields. They have already participated in a makeup and beauty care workshop led by Karisse Fa and a photographic workshop led by Mark Montovio and Charlene Figueras. Last week they attended a workshop led by Aimee Jay from Aimee Jay Intimates at the ICC on how to make the most of underwear and other accessories available.

“It is key to professional models to understand what is available on the underwear market to maximise the look of any garment they model. The models learnt how to use many items including clothing tape, adhesive bras, and silicone to ensure a no show look is achieved on the runway,” said Aimee Jay.

The delegates will be judged throughout the evening and will appear in different styles to include swimwear, evening wear and a street culture style of their own choosing. Personality, style and attitude will be crucial as the judges seek to award points to delegates who look comfortable on the runway and demonstrate confidence when interacting with the audience and others.

There are 14 prizes in total to be awarded but the coveted top prize will involve the opportunity to attend an international modelling contest abroad, a one year contract with Mount Productions, the development of a professional photographic portfolio worth £1000, professional business cards and calling cards, £150 cash and further opportunities for professional grooming and castings in Gibraltar and Spain. They will also become the faces advertising the winter collection of evening wear at Trends in Gibraltar.

This year’s edition is based on hip-hop and street culture and will see performances from Gibraltar and Spain, including Danza Academy and Southlink from Gibraltar, Nerja Theatre Workshop from Nerja, White Coffee from Marbella, and Lethal Style from Malaga. A special collection of fabrics brought over from Zimbabwe and Jessica Garcia's new jewellery designs will also be showcased.

Tickets for the show priced at £12 are on sale from The Nature Shop at Casemates.

Police warning on jet skis

Police have issued a warning on the use of jet skis, saying that the relevant rules will be strictly enforced. It follows complaints at the weekend.

The RGP say that "a number of complaints" were made by members of the public using Western Beach in relation to the speed that some jet skis were being navigated within the proximity of bathers. Two persons were reported for the offence of exceeding the speed limit of 5 knots within the adjacent area to the beach. A further two persons were similarly reported for the same offence within restricted waters inside the harbour.

CONCERN

The police has expressed concern about what they term "the inconsiderate and dangerous" use of jet skis within the proximity of bathers and other vessels inside the port area and admiralty waters.

The law regulating the use of vessels requires that the navigator of a high-speed craft conduct themselves in such a way as to avoid endangering or inconveniencing bathers or other pleasure boat owners.

A statement adds: The marine section of the RGP will be strictly enforcing the seashore pleasure rules "and persistent offenders will risk having their vessels impounded in an effort to curb the dangerous and inconsiderate use of jet skis or other fast vessels."

They add: Whilst not wishing to curtail what is otherwise an enjoyable water sport practised by law-abiding citizens, the RGP is determined to ensure that the safety of bathers, and compliance with our laws, is maintained and enforced. Information on such matters is available from the police.

Stop Gibraltar's land reclamation, Junta urged

The Junta , the Andalusian regional government, is being urged that the Gibraltar government be told to stop the Eastside project until an environmental impact assessment is made and known.

This is not the first time that political parties in Spain have raised this issue.

The Eastside project is like 'the jewel in the Crown' of the Gibraltar government's development projects, although there are environmentalists on this side of the frontier who are also expressing concern about it.

However, the Spaniards appear to be confusing the present land reclamation which has been going on for some years in that area with the actual plan for the multi-million pound eastside project.

Meanwhile, the nationalist 'Partido Andalucista' wants the Junta to take action to stop land reclamation on the east side.

A question is being asked to this effect in the Andalusian parliament by Cadiz member Antonio Moreno, who fears that the eastside project could have negative effects in La Linea's littoral, describing it as an 'attack on the environment.

He is asking the Junta if they have any intention in adopting any measures to establish the repercussions that the land reclamation is having on the adjacent Andalusian coasts.

Sr Moreno wants the Junta to complain about it before the Madrid government and the European Union.

It would appear that the complaints are centred on the land reclamation that is already in progress in that area, which is nothing compared to the land reclamation that is planned for the huge project in that area.

Is Caruana falling into constitutional trap?

by our Political correspondent

Gibraltar is on its way to a record-breaking 'slow coach' award over the slow-moving constitutional talks.

Unless things are speeded up, the 'modernisation' might end up being an archaic idea, ready for the dustbin.

That is what the Foreign Office would want, and the Chief Minister Peter Caruana is seemingly falling into the trap.

The whole concept of constitutional reform goes back to 1999 - and everything has been moving at snail-pace.

When the first meeting was finally held between a Gibraltar delegation and the UK delegation at the end of last year, good progress was reported. If that was the case, what is holding back a breakthrough?

PROCRASTINATION

Even at the December talks the UK side was already seen to be advancing their policy of procrastination. Eventually it was agreed to hold the next round in March. But March came and went, and nothing happened.

The election was a great excuse to slow things down more. But that was in early May - and the same party got back to power. So, why more delay?

Now, the long, hot summer is being given as the latest excuse.

And no one knows what other excuses will be trumped up to delay the process as much as possible.

The autumn? But is that not when the tripartite talks are due to resume?

Oh dear. What about Straw and Moratinos wanting to show progress before the year is out? Will that 'progress' be affected if there is a constitutional meeting? Even though one thing has nothing to do with the other...

EXPENSE

But in the Foreign Office there are those who want to see 'trilateral progress' at the expense of any constitutional progress.

It could well be that a meaningless meeting could be organised to give the impression that something is happening.

If not the year could roll over and only one meeting will have taken place in Gibraltar's glorious plan to 'modernise' its constitution.

A snail-pace record in Gibraltar's constitutional history.

Cable car broken into in weekend of crime

Thirty people were arrested over the weekend for a variety of offences.

Nine of the arrests were on the strength of warrants issued by the Magistrates Court.

Burglaries and thefts continue, including two arrests for burglary at the ground station of the cable car. This was at 5am yesterday. The previous week there was a burglary at the top station.

A person was arrested for being in possession of a commercial quantity of tobacco; another for being in possession of a controlled drug.

There was an assault on police, two other assaults plus a further arrest for violent behaviour.

Being drunk while driving also featured in the weekend list of arrests.

A traffic accident with injuries, plus three other minor traffic accidents, have been reported to police.

There were also allegations of indecent expusure, use of insulting words, and of making threats over the telephone.

Cleaning up the Northern defences

Following a report in PANORAMA about the state of the northern defences - which earned the MOD the title of Ministry of Dirt! - UK military have arrived on the Rock to give a helping hand in clearing the mess. In this hot weather, they should be sent best wishes.

It is not clear how extensive the clean-up project will be, but it may be a small project which may not take in the extensive rubbish area that needs attention -hopefully, others will follow in their footsteps.

The Command British Forces have come out saying that "3 Military Intelligence Battalion are helping to clear one of the heritage sites of rubble and rubbish."

The unit is taking part in Exercise Marble which will last for 2 weeks.

As part of their training in Gibraltar, they have volunteered to conduct a small project and clear the area of Prince’s Line and All’s Well Steps, a section of the Northern Defences.

The unit has its headquarters in London but has detachments spread throughout the UK.

Saturday's Festival Cup Final - It's all over for Dover Rovers

Gibraltar 5 v Dover Rovers 1

Dover went in to this match on a narrow 9 - 8 win on penalties over Torrax and against a Gibraltar side brimming with confidence. It only took Gibraltar 5 minutes to take the lead with a thunderous drive from George Cabrera that left the Dover goalkeeper stranded. It only took another four minutes for Lee Muscat to double the lead, as play became one-way traffic for Gibraltar. Dover started to get into their stride and mounted attack after attack but could not manage to break down the solid Gibraltar defence. Gibraltar then started to keep the Dover team in to their own half and it was not long before Lee Muscat slipped away from his marker to coolly net his second and Gibraltar's third goal just before the half time whistle.

It was only about 10 minutes in to the second half when Dover broke down the right and after an accurate pass to the center had the Gibraltar goalkeeper palming the ball round the right hand post. Lee Muscat cheekily netted Gibraltar's 4th goal, and completing his hat trick, after rounding the keeper before Ashley Rodriguez smacked in a 5th after some good work down the right. Moments later Kevagn Castle nearly got number 6 but managed to lob the ball over the bar, before George Cabrera hit the post after rounding the keeper. Dover Rovers didn't think it was all over and a stinging drive from 20 or 30 yards out gave them a classy consolation goal, with the Gibraltar keeper left clutching at thin air.

This Gibraltar team has the talent and the enthusiasm to rank alongside any team in Europe at their age level, but out of it all, despite the superb teamwork, it was Lee Muscat who surely stood out as Man of the Match.

Frontier swoop as police pull car out of queue and four people are detained

by PANORAMA reporter

Within hours of the second wave of London bombings?, Gibraltar police swooped on the frontier, palled a car out of the queue and detained four men, who were taken to police headquarters. This has been confirmed to PANORAMA by the Royal Gibraltar Police.

Four men who appeared to be of oriental origin were in a Spanish-registered Ford Focus car about half-way up the loop at the frontier when police raced to the scene.

Police swooped on the car. The four occupants were removed from the car and taken to a waiting police van which had arrived on the scene.

The van had been parked near the bus stop behind the old guard house. There were 4 or five police officers, including a motorcyclist. There and then those detained were bodily searched before being conveyed to police headquarters.

There was a high degree of urgency. The car was meanwhile hurriedly driven off the queue through one of the side entrances. Neither before the action, nor afterwards, was it allowed to take its course in the queue.

At the police station the four men were thoroughly searched. They were not released until later that night.

Questioned by PANORAMA, the police said: "No criminal activity was detected "

The police added: "The four persons were detained under normal police powers."

They said there are different laws that allow this. Trying to play down the specific circumstances of this particular case, they added that "this happens routinely, we do it quite frequently. There was no security scare."

The men had British passports.

Runway repairs between barriers

In order to allow an MoD contractor to carry out repairs to the section of runway at Winston Churchill Avenue between the north and south barriers, one lane will be closed to traffic.

These arrangements will be from Monday to Thursday from 1pm to 4pm, as from today Monday, for a period of 4 weeks.

Repairs will be carried out on all four lanes, although only one lane at a time will be closed.

The works will be demarcated using traffic cones and portable traffic signs.

The government is urging drivers to exercise extra caution when driving through the works areas.

The Start of the Gibraltar Football Season thrown in to chaos?

The whole start of the new football season has been thrown into doubt by the state of the playing surface of the No. 2/training pitch.

The current situation was reported to have started at the President's address at the Gibraltar Football Association's (GFA) AGM when the President, Joe Nunez, stated that in the opinion of the GFA pitch number 2 was not safe and that he would not accept any allocations by the Gibraltar Sports Authority for pitch number 2 to distribute among the clubs and that no competitions would be held on the pitch until the surface is changed. The reason given is on health and safety grounds and that the pitch is unfit and is an accident waiting to happen and that the GFA does not want any liability whatsoever. The GFA Development Officer, Geoff Woods, is reported to have said that the pitch is not suitable and that no sports at all should be played on that surface.

The situation is quite simple, there is only one pitch suitable for training in Gibraltar for the clubs. What happens is that the Gibraltar Sports Authority gives the allocations to the GFA and the GFA distribute them to the clubs to train. The GFA is not going to accept those allocations so therefore they are not going to distribute them to the clubs.

So there is only one recourse that the clubs have and that is to go to the Gibraltar Sports Authority directly and ask them for allocations to train on pitch number 2, but faced with the fact that the GFA say it is unsafe it leaves the clubs in a very precarious position. It is going against the advice of their own association if the clubs take this course of action but if the surface is not prepared and the clubs are not allowed to train then the whole of the forthcoming season will be put in jeopardy. The pre-season training normally starts in September; this is when the pitch is needed. The GFA gets its allocations in October, but the clubs can apply before this directly to the Sports Authority for training allocations and if this was done it would be going directly against the advice given by the GFA.

The official GFA competition held on pitch number 2 is the Under-7's league, now if the Under-7's league cannot be held on pitch number 2 then it has to be held somewhere else, and if it is held on the main pitch then it is taking allocations from someone else. Now the main pitch is fine and suitable for training but the GFA has apparently stated that the main pitch is only to be used for official competions and any training for the Gibraltar Selection teams but not for club training. This does present a problem because the clubs are the "engine" for football in Gibraltar, they are the ones who develop the players who will play for the Gibraltar Selection teams, if they cannot train how can they play and if they cannot play how can the youth development system do its job? The whole football league could be thrown into chaos because if the clubs cannot train they could refuse to play, how can an untrained team be expected to play as a team without the proper preparation? The repairs to the pitch are the responsibility of the Government, every year they patch up the surface to make it playable but this year it is obvious that the whole of the surface is lifting and getting dangerous, it has lost its pile and playing on it is like playing on sandpaper. The responsibility of the GFA is to the clubs and the responsibility of the clubs is to their players, there is no point in creating a rift where the GFA say no and the Sports Authority say yes! It is a big problem and even if the Government decides now to change the surface it will take more than three months to do it and the season will be in disarray. Even if they start the process now and agree with the GFA, what will happen is that those works will be carried out in the football season. The works should have started at the end of the last season and should have been completed in time for the new one, but probably what will happen is that the pitch will be patched up, declared safe for 2005-2006 and next season hopefully things will get sorted, it is a big problem and one that threatens the whole season!!!

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