UK 'sorry' for shooting at 'Spanish flag' buoy

The UK has apologised to Spain after the Royal Navy used a buoy with the Spanish colours for target practice.

The exercise took place off the coast of Gibraltar earlier this week. The UK ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry in Madrid to explain.

According to local reports, the navy hastily removed the buoy, which had a red-and-yellow marker, when approached by a Spanish police launch on Tuesday.

Ambassador Giles Paxman conceded it was insensitive and an error of judgement.

While acknowledging that the target had appeared "similar" to the Spanish flag, he insisted that was not what it was supposed to represent.

And he assured his hosts there would be no repetition of the incident.

Later the UK Ministry of Defence clarified that the colours were those of a maritime signal flag used by Nato.