Image: The wreck is just off the coast of Gibraltar | GETTY
By George Bunn
Britain walked away from a potential £5.5billion treasure recovery mission near Gibraltar rather than risk a confrontation with Spain over the territory.
The leaked documents reveal that ministers in the early 2000s chose to abandon efforts to salvage what is believed to be HMS Sussex, a Royal Navy flagship lost off Gibraltar more than three centuries ago, despite the wreck being British property.
Senior parliamentarians and exploration experts are now pressing the Government to authorise a new expedition to retrieve the golden cargo thought to have sunk with the vessel.
The Telegraph has reported that the wreck site sits in international waters to the east of Gibraltar, an area Britain has never formally claimed but could assert jurisdiction over under international maritime law, opening the door to a fresh salvage attempt.
Read the full article on GB News:
https://www.gbnews.com/news/shipwreck-discovery-britain-surrendered-treasure-hunt-gibraltar
