Gibraltar has filed a criminal complaint against Spanish far-right party Vox for "incitement of hatred" against the British overseas territory.

Gibraltar's chief minister, Fabian Picardo, filed the complaint in Spain against four leaders of Vox.

In a statement, Gibraltar's government cited "a long list of statements emanating from VOX […] designed to create an atmosphere of hatred among Spaniards towards Gibraltarians."

It added: "In recent days, some of the online comments provoked by statements made by Vox and its national leaders have specifically urged violent action against Gibraltar."

In a tweet on 14 December from the official Vox Twitter account, the party referred to the British territory as a "nest of drug trafficking, smuggling, and home to all kinds of beach bars and covers to launder money."

It continued: "We must end that colony of parasites. We will never give up what belongs to us, # GibraltarEspañol."

Vox became Spain's third largest party after winning 52 parliamentary seats in November's general election. It gained support after campaigning on a nationalist platform, calling for Gibraltar's return to Spanish control.

Gibraltar's government said it was "mindful of a long and dark history in Europe where minorities have been targeted by extremist political ideologues."

The government also stated it had asked Spanish prosecutors to investigate the online social media group "Gibraltar: Espanol," which it called "an avid echo chamber for the anti-Gibraltarian propaganda of Vox."

"The Government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the promulgators of anti-Gibraltarian hate are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," it added.

Vox's representative in the Spanish city of Cadiz, tweeted: "They denounce us for hate crime," following Picardo's announcement.

Gibraltar, which has a population of more than 33,000 and covers six square kilometers, was captured from Spain by Britain in 1704 and formally ceded to the British in 1713 following a war.

The rocky peninsula continues to be a point of contention between the two countries, with Spain still claiming sovereignty over it.