Gibraltar row: warship deployments routine says Downing Street

Downing Street has played down the significance of sending a rapid reaction force of warships to Gibraltar, due to stop off at the territory on its way to naval exercises in the Mediterranean.

No 10 said the force was a long planned routine exercise and was not linked to the fierce diplomatic row over the disputed territory.

But it disclosed that David Cameron had warned the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, about the warships in a telephone conversation on Wednesday during which they discussed the escalating dispute.

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