Man steals Guardia Civil car, attempts to enter Gib
A Polish man who was turned away by local immigration officials at the border yesterday later stole a Guardia Civil car and tried to drive it into Gibraltar.
The incident happened late Monday afternoon and the driver was stopped just inside British territory, before being handed over to authorities on the Spanish side of the border.
The incident was recorded by border CCTV cameras and the footage shows how stunned immigration and Customs officials in Gibraltar swooped on the vehicle when they realised what was happening.
The man, who has not been named, had tried to enter into Gibraltar earlier during the day but was sent back because he had no documents.
He spent the day loitering on the Spanish side of the border until finally stealing a Guardia Civil vehicle that was parked in the border compound.
He drove over the border into Gibraltar but came to a halt when challenged by immigration and Customs officials.
The driver was ordered out of the vehicle and handed to Spanish police, while the vehicle was later returned.
Investigations are under way on both sides of the border.
The Guardia Civil is looking at why a vehicle was left parked in a busy border area with keys in the ignition.
Likewise officials in Gibraltar are scrutinising the incident to assess whether proper procedures were followed.