Falklands denial as row over Chagos intensifies

PM's belated pledge on British territories

- Martyn Brown, Michael Knowles

DOWNING Street has been forced to deny the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is at risk amid ongoing fury over the future of the Chagos Islands.

No 10 insisted yesterday that the deal to hand the strategically important archipelago to Mauritius was a "unique situation".

The Prime Minister's official spokesman added that "British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands or Gibraltar is not up for negotiation".

It came as Foreign Secretary David Lammy defended the decision on the Chagos Islands in a statement to Parliament, by claiming a key military base could have been abandoned.

Mr Lammy said the UK was facing a choice of jettisoning the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia "or breaking international law".