October 13, 2001	Saturday	Rajab 25, 1422

GIBRALTAR, Oct 12: Two US warships at Gibraltar went on full alert, Friday when a ferry sped across Gibraltar bay from Spain towards where the vessels were berthed inside the harbour, police sources said.

The 5,307-ton ferry, the ‘Felix E’, left the Spanish port of Algeciras overnight without authorization, port sources said in Algeciras, about five kilometres from the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.

“It was spotted speeding towards Gibraltar without its lights on and without responding to any calls, causing a security scare,” a Gibraltar police spokesman said.

A patrol boat from the Spanish civil guards gave chase and a signal for help was received by the Gibraltar port authority. Instructions were issued by the captain of the port James Ferro not to allow the ferry to enter Gibraltar, but instructions were ignored by the high-speed catamaran’s captain.

Patrol vessels from the Gibraltar naval squadron, the port and the civil and military police went after the ferry, which nevertheless steamed into Gibraltar harbour and stopped close to the US warships, a spokesman said.—AFP