Spain re-opens Ginraltar border

Spain reopened its border with Gibraltar tonight after sparking a political storm with Britain over a docked virus-hit cruise liner.

Madrid closed the border earlier today for the first time in more than three decades after the P&O luxury liner Aurora, some of whose passengers had been hit with a highly infectious bug, arrived at the Rock.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Peter Caruana both criticised Spain’s “unnecessary and disproportionate” action and called for an end to it.

The border was reopened around 2010 local time (1910GMT), the Foreign Office confirmed.

The Aurora left Gibraltar around three hours earlier bound for Southampton, where it is due to dock on Thursday.