This image realeased by the U.S. Navy shows an aerial view of Diego Garcia.

Ministers have been banned from concluding their negotiations on handing over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

In a major embarrassment for Keir Starmer, a High Court judge granted a temporary injunction at 2.25am this morning.

The ruling was passed down just hours before the prime minister hoped to finalise his deal for Mauritius to take over the archipelago,

In the injunction, which was brought against the Foreign Office, Mr Justice Goose granted “interim relief” to Bertrice Pompe, who had previously taken steps to bring legal action over the deal.

The judge said in his order: “The defendant shall take no conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations concerning the possible transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory,........

© HuffPost