Britain will send a warship to Guyana in a show of diplomatic and military support for the Commonwealth nation amid an escalating territorial dispute with Venezuela.

HMS Trent will take part in joint exercises with Guyana after Christmas

HMS Trent, which the government describes as a “defence diplomacy” vessel, will take part in joint exercises with Guyana after Christmas.

Tensions between the South American nation and its neighbour Venezuela have grown amid a dispute over a mineral-rich border region.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “HMS Trent will visit regional ally and Commonwealth partner Guyana later this month as part of a series of engagements in the region during her Atlantic patrol task deployment.”

The dispute over Essequibo, a 62,000 square-mile territory rich in oil, gas, and minerals, in western Guyana, has raised international concern that Venezuela might invade.

Guyana and Venezuela both claim ownership of the area, a dispute dating back to the late 19th century, when Guyana, then known as British Guiana, was still a British colony.

A 1966 Geneva agreement nullified a border drawn in 1899 by international arbitrators.

However, Venezuela has reignited its claims after the discovery of oil and gas in Guyana in recent years. The case is being heard by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Venezuela’s embattled president, Nicolas Maduro, escalated tensions earlier this month by rejecting the ICJ’s jurisdiction and holding a referendum on annexing the region.

A majority of Venezuelan voters are said to have backed Mr Maduro’s proposal to lay claim to the territory, which comprises roughly two-thirds of Guyana.

The result was widely disputed and Guyana has put its armed forces on high alert.

HMS Trent is in Barbados over Christmas but will then head to Guyana.

The offshore patrol vessel cannot dock in Georgetown, Guyana’s capital, because it is too shallow.

Britain will ensure Guyana’s ‘territorial integrity is upheld’

Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, has said the UK will work with “partners in the region to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld and prevent escalation”.

He discussed the issue with his American counterpart, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, during a trip to Washington earlier this month.

The US reaffirmed its support for Guyana’s sovereignty at the time.

Earlier this month, Foreign Office minister for the Americas and Caribbean David Rutley visited Guyana and said Venezuela had promised to refrain from the use of force and any further escalation in the dispute.

David Lammy, Labour’s shadow home secretary, whose parents hail from Guyana, said at the time: “Maduro’s threats to Guyana are straight out of Putin’s playbook.

“The UK’s support for Guyana, tied by history, must be unwavering.”