A Spanish mayor has sparked outrage by using his Facebook page to publish a picture of Gibraltar – as it would look if the Spanish army invaded. The image shows a Spanish flag flying high on the Rock, the silhouette of a bull on the lower slopes and triumphant marching Spanish troops in the foreground. The mock-up appeared on the page of Francisco Javier Pérez Trigueros, a nationalist whose previous posts include details on the history of the Spanish flag.

Britain and Spain are supposed to be NATO and EU allies. You wouldn’t think so now, as a petty dispute over concrete blocks planted in the sea off Gibraltar to protect marine life morphs into a serious cause of friction. Far from fizzling out, as former spats over Gibraltar did usually, this conflict is in danger of escalating to the point of no return.

The Chief Minister’s presence in the UK could not have been timed or planned any better, even if the Government had attempted to strategically get Mr. Picardo to meet the likes of David Cameron, Nick Clegg or even have lunch with William Hague at his residence and then go on to meet the UK Chancellor.