WISH YOU WERE FEAR
Brit tourists targeted by muggers and vice girls at Europe’s cheapest resort where beers cost £1
The resort of Sunny Beach attracts hundreds of thousands of UK sunseekers every year
CRIMINALS have flooded a Bulgarian tourist hotspot that Brits flock to for sunshine and £1 a pint nightlife.
The Black Sea coastal resort of Sunny Beach - which attracts hundreds of thousands of UK sunseekers every year - has seen a spike in crime as crooks move in to exploit drunken holidaymakers.
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The Foreign and Commonwealth Office says prostitutes and their pimps are mugging tourists and burglars target hotel rooms.
The says: "Prostitution is not illegal in Bulgaria however we have received numerous reports of pickpocketing, muggings and assaults of British nationals by prostitutes and their minders."
It adds that some tourists have been victims of overcharging in strip clubs in Sofia and in some resorts like Bansko, Borovets and Sunny Beach.
Overcharging can amount to hundreds of pounds and victims have been threatened with violence if they don’t pay.
Meanwhile, there are regular reports of robberies and threatening behaviour by taxi drivers in Sunny Beach.
Scammers are also deliberately puncturing the tyres of hire cars across Bulgaria.
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While tourists investigate the puncture, con artists distract the driver while an accomplice steals personal belongings and documents from the vehicle.
The FCO added: "Be vigilant if you have to stop in these circumstances and make sure your belongings are secure."
Yesterday a British mum of four told how her Turkish holiday turned into a nightmare when she was stripped and dragged down a road in a brutal sex assault.
The victim, known only as Anne, 45, had accepted a ride from a “taxi-driver” motorcyclist – but to her horror he rode her to a secluded spot instead of her four-star hotel in the resort of Marmaris.
HOW TO STAY SAFE IN BULGARIA
- Don’t take valuables to the beach and be wary of poorly lit roads around the resort at night.
- Make sure you lock your room (including windows and balcony doors) and keep your valuables locked in a safe.
- Don’t change money on the streets in Sunny Beach, only at licensed exchange points, banks or hotels.
- Avoid areas where prostitutes operate especially late at night, including car parks, the beach, badly lit areas and areas with bushes and trees.
- Stick to main routes and avoid alleys and short cuts in Sunny Beach.
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