RAF Plane Stopped On Runway By Gibraltar Police To Question Serviceman
An RAF transport plane has reportedly been stopped from taking off by the Royal Gibraltar Police so a British serviceman could be questioned.
According to the Gibraltar Chronicle, officers wanted to question a man on board and to examine computer equipment belonging to him.
The man was being flown out of Gibraltar to the UK as part of an ongoing investigation by the Ministry of Defence.
When RGP officers tried to serve a warrant for him sources told the paper that senior MoD personnel refused them access, insisting it was a military investigation under UK jurisdiction.
More: Royal Navy Fires Warning Shot At Spanish Boat In Gibraltar
As the A400 attempted to taxi down the runway with the man on board, the police stopped a car in front of it to prevent it from taking off.
Following a stand-off that lasted around two hours and left hundreds of commuters stranded while the runway barriers were down, the plane took off late yesterday evening.
However, it left without the man and his kit.
It is understood he is still on the Rock as the RGP conduct a preliminary investigation into whether any offences had been committed in Gibraltar.
An MoD spokesperson said:
"We can confirm that an incident occurred at the airfield that necessitated an unscheduled closure of Winston Churchill Avenue in Gibraltar. As this incident has occurred as a result of an on-going police investigation we are unable to comment further at this time."
"Despite the unscheduled closure, incoming commercial flights were unaffected but a small number of departures suffered minor delays."
All images courtesy: Ed Hoppitt
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