Spain forced a Red Arrows display in Gibraltar to be cancelled after it warned that it would be considered a "hostile act".

According to diplomatic cables seen by the Telegraph, the Spanish official warned that their country's response would "not be mild".

The Spanish official reportedly said that Spain considered the display “unnecessary, unconstructive and provocative” and that “this was not the time to undertake this sort of activity.”

According to the Telegraph, the exact Spanish threat was "more explicit", but was not disclosed by the publication.

The British Embassy in Madrid suggested it was "clear that Spain is deeply opposed to the activity".

The UK however maintained that the event would mainly take place in British airspace and would not need approval from Spain, but backed down nonetheless.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said on the cancellations: "As part of operational planning, a variety of potential display dates and locations are considered by the RAF.

"A wide range of factors influence whether these are able to proceed."

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