A pair of hungry Spanish police officers had their breakfast plans in Gibraltar ruined on Friday after being turned away at the border.

The two Policia Nacional cadets were stopped by the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) after allegedly attempting to enter the Rock in full uniform.

According to Gibraltar’s public broadcaster GBC, the officers had recently been posted to the Campo de Gibraltar area and were unaware of the rules governing the presence of Spanish police.

GBC reported that the officers were left ‘mortified’ when the situation was explained to them, with the incident ending amicably once the rules had been clarified.

The episode came on the same day the Policia Nacional formally welcomed 104 trainee officers who have been assigned to the Campo de Gibraltar this summer.

It also comes just days after the provisional implementation of the UK-EU Gibraltar treaty, which removed physical border checks at the frontier but did not alter policing powers within Gibraltar.

Under the agreement, Gibraltar remains responsible for policing and maintaining public order within its territory.

Spanish officers will only have a permanent role at Schengen controls at Gibraltar’s airport and port, where they will work alongside Gibraltarian authorities to oversee entry into the Schengen Area.

The treaty also allows for enhanced cooperation between Spanish and Gibraltarian law enforcement, including intelligence sharing, joint protocols and coordinated cross-border operations in specific circumstances.

However, it does not permit Spanish police officers to carry out routine policing duties inside Gibraltar.

The incident is the latest teething problem since the new border arrangements came into force.

On Wednesday, a Spanish taxi driver was reported by the RGP for operating in Gibraltar without the required licence, prompting the Gibraltar government to remind the public that transport regulations have not changed despite the removal of border checks.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.