Motortrades Insight has exclusively published the views of the people of Gibraltar on the British territory’s relations with Spain, speaking out on the sheer amount of car vandalism and suppression. 

Miss Gibraltar 1982, Louise Gillingwater Pedersen, mother of Miss Gibraltar 2011, is one of those who spoke to us. The views expressed here are those of the individuals and not Motortrades Insight.

Pat Masters, Gibraltar

We are under constant pressure from Spain.  Cars with Gibraltar number plates are vandalised when we go into Spain. I have personal experience of this in the car I was travelling in from Spain (after attending a hospital there for a heart complaint). The car was obstructed by two youngsters on a dual road on the approach to Gibraltar.

A young male on a scooter was in one lane and a girl, also on a scooter, was in the other. Neither would give way to us. A  Spanish car came up behind us and the girl moved over behind the young male.  The driver of the car I was in quickly followed the other car and within seconds the young male was at the side of us and had taken off his helmet and started banging it on the bonnet. We were able to cross over to join the Gibraltar queue and they rode off.  A very scary experience.

The border is a real problem with crossings taking three hours or more.  The Gardia can keep a car for half an hour or more by searching or just standing talking to a colleague. After they have stripped your car they leave everything on the ground for you to put it all back, thus taking even longer for the queue to wait.

Fiona Parnell, Gibraltar

Free movement between Gibraltar and Spain is being prevented by the Guardia Civil at the border. What should be a few minutes to get across can take three hours. They have been stopping every single vehicle that goes through the green channel. Scooter riders and cyclists are being made to wait out in the heat of the midday sun without shade or water. There have already been reports of people collapsing, although I have not witnessed this myself.

The government in Madrid either don''t understand or don''t care that the main group of people that are being affected by the restrictions at the border are the 7,000 cross border workers from La Linena. They can''t get employment in Spain so choose to come here to work. They take the money they earn back to Spain.

Gibraltar registered cars are being targeted in Spain. They are being vandalised, tyres are being slashed and windows are being smashed. A friend called last night to tell us that someone in Spain is firing a BB gun at Gibraltar registered cars whilst they are being driven - if that is not an accident waiting to happen then I don''t know what is.

They are blatantly ignoring any warnings given by the Royal Navy, Royal Gibraltar Police and Gibraltar Defence Police. Someone in the UK needs to do something before someone gets hurt.

We do feel like we are forgotten about by the UK sometimes. Many people have said that if this had happened 30 years ago, just like the Falklands, a swift and rapid response would have been ordered. We aren''t looking for conflict but just a bit of protection from a bully.

Sue Kennedy, Gibraltar

We have over many years suffered the bullying tactics of Spain. They use the Gibraltar border for their political tactics. When they have any issue with either their own government or ours, the border suffers, seeing queues of three hours or more to get in or out of Gibraltar as the Guardia Civil hold us to ransom. 

We want the Government to take action as a matter of urgency, we feel if this was happening in the Falklands things would be totally different and action would have been swift. I myself am an ex pat who has chosen to live here Gibraltar is very proud to be British and wishes to remain that way.

Louise Gillingwater, Miss Gibraltar 1982

It''s time to take the bull by the horns, show Spain their actions will no longer be tolerated and end this facism once and for all.  The people of Gibraltar are starting to realise that it is not fair for our Government alone to fight this but united with one voice, we can attempt to make our plight heard, taken seriously and acknowledged. For up until now we are considered a minority people, not worth Englands Mighty Roar, a foreign affairs issue gathering dust on the shelves of democratic complacency. 

Spain claim to be a democratic country but the politics swing from extremely liberal to downright facist.  They are also the European country to receive the most money in subsidy from the European Union. 

The horrendous border queues which have gone on for years, which at times brings Gibraltar’s roads to a gridlock, is a deliberate act ordered by those that sit high in power. One Guardia Civil said he had been ordered to allow one car to pass every five mins.  It''s all part of Madrid''s political propaganda to ruin Gibraltar and bring her to her knees, which of course will never happen because we will never surrender or bow to their continuous bullying tactics. 

Our ancestors never did and neither will we or those that follow us. I am certain you must know that through adversity one becomes stronger and that is what Gibraltar is - small but mighty, a rock that we are proud of, where people of all religions, race, colour or  political affiliation live in peace, side by side without apartide or prejudice.

It makes my blood boil to think that in this day and age Spain is still being allowed to bully and harrass 30,000 peaceful and very patient and patriotic British subjects. At times, I do blame the English Government for not having the balls or backbone to put Spain in their place once and for all. 

Of course, unlike the Falklands with only a tenth of the population as compared to us and 12,000 miles away in another continent, could it be the oil reserves that England is really protecting? 

I  am so certain, I would cut my right arm off should, by a stroke of luck, oil reserves be found in Gibraltar’s waters, that England would come down on Spain with a ton of bricks before the Spanish Prime Minister had time to smirk at the prospect of even contemplating owning one drop. 

Why is it that money is what really matters? What about honor, loyalty, responsibility to protect your people from oppression, righteousness and pride? Where is that? 

I was born in England and my father was in HMS Navy. I am British and love my Rock of Gibraltar. I also had the pleasure of meeting and sharing a drink with Prince Andrew on HMS Invincible when he was on his way to the Falklands War in 1982.

I was in the Miss World and Miss Universe Pageants representing my country and was victimised by a Spanish Judge at the Miss Universe and saw her write "O" points after she asked me ‘What are you doing here?’ and then told me that Gibraltar was Spanish and that Spain already had a representative and I was wasting my time. 

I was 19 at the time, naive and felt belittled and degraded. I have never forgotten that incident and how it made me feel. I wish I could turn back time and have dealt with it appropriately there and then.  

When our Miss Gibraltar 2009 won Miss World, the Spanish Press wrote that a Rock Ape had won, and similar stories. Gibraltar has fought for years to be included in UEFA, always having Spain veto us, time and time again. When some of our young players – 13-year-olds - went to Barcelona last year to play in a friendly international tournament and all the countries and teams were parading flying their flags, an official went up to the young lad flying the Gibraltar Flag and took it away from him saying ‘The Gibraltar Flag does not fly in Spain’ or words to that affect.  

I wish I had been there and it had been my son at the time. I would have given him his two salts worth. 

Spain''s actions don''t only affect us on the roads, in our waters and airspace, but also affects our lives personally, one way or the other.

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