Magaluf puts up signs warning Brits they now face heavy fines for street drinking, nakedness and fighting
Magaluf council bosses have got tough on anti-social behaviour and have introduced a string of bans and fines
COUNCIL chiefs in Magaluf have upped the ante against badly-behaving Brits with street signs warning them of heavy fines for street drinking, nakedness and fighting.
The brightly-coloured signs, which carry the banner line ‘Have fun with respect’ have been mounted on lamp-posts and other visible spots in the party resort.
One says: “Drink on the street. Penalty 500 euros.”
The fine is equivalent to £439.
Another says: “Wear no clothes on the street. Penalty 400 euros.” and a third “Shout, fight, or bother people. Penalty 400 euros.” - just over £351.
The signs are part of the latest campaign to stamp out some of the excesses committed by British holidaymakers in Magaluf.
A spokesman for Calvia Council, which covers Magaluf, said 20 street signs had been erected, 15 in Magaluf’s party strip Punta Ballena and five in Ramon de Montcada Street in the nearby resort of Santa Ponsa which is more popular with Irish holidaymakers.
The council said in a press release: “They form part of an image-led campaign to promote good behaviour and inform people of the sanctions for breaching by-laws designed to encourage co-existence between visitors and locals.
“The campaign is directed at young people who tend to use these streets and the signs have been erected on street lamps in both streets in English and Spanish, using primary colours and eye-catching letters so they stand out from other street signs.
“The campaign is identified with the hastag #havefunwithrespect.
“Another of the keys is highlighting the amount of the fine, because it’s a dissuasive measure.”
The statement added: “Calvia Town Hall is continuing to work towards its aim of reducing drunken tourism as much as possible.
“This is why it urges the need for the regional Balearic Islands government to take measures to regulate all-inclusive hotel packages so alcohol is excluded, or prohibit ‘two-for-one’ and ‘happy hours’ offers in bars.”
Local authorities have brought in dozens of new by-laws to punish uncivic behaviour in its drive to clean up the resort’s image.
The rules prohibit defecating in public places, having sex in public and stripping off in public as well as littering and tearing branches off trees.
In April police stepped in to stop an illegal pub crawl in brash Magaluf party strip Punta Ballena, described as “500 metres of shame” by a former mayor.
Illegal PRs, known as tiqueteros, in Spanish - whose job involves enticing holidaymakers into bars with the offer of free and reduced-price drinks - have also been come under increased scrutiny.
Magaluf’s reputation took a devastating nosedive four years ago after a British teenager was filmed performing sex acts on a string of men in a bar - and has been trying to recover every since.
Council chiefs and entrepreneurs have been working hard to turn things around since with the launch of new hotels, infrastructures and leisure facilites, coupled with the crackdown on bad behaviour.
Calvia mayor Alfonso Rodriguez Nadal announced in March the local authority intended intensifying its fight against drunken tourism this year in areas like Punta Ballena.
Last year he told British tourists hurting his town hall’s attempts to improve the resort’s image: “We don’t want you here” and called on party bars to do away with ‘Happy Hours.
He said the idea that the worst tourist is “the one that doesn’t come” needed to be consigned to history.
And he called on bar owners in areas like Punta Ballena to stop offering alcohol at knockdown prices and commit to ongoing efforts to reconvert the holiday hotspot.
This year expat locals in Magaluf have been fighting against the scourge of African prostitutes they blame for pickpocketing and mugging British tourists and scaring many holidaymakers away from the area.
Two Brits have already lost their lives in balcony falls.
On June 3 Welshman Tom Hughes, 20, died at a nearby apartment block he is thought to have mistaken for his hotel.
On April 27 Scots bar worker Natalie Cormack died at the same apartment block as Tom - Eden Roc in Magaluf - after trying to edge her way along an overhang around a locked entrance door after she discovered she didn’t have keys to get in.
She plunged the equivalent of seven floors.
A glass panel has since been erected at the spot where she died in a bid to avoid a fresh tragedy.
A 22-year-old Brit holidaymaker lost several teeth as well as suffering a broken leg and broken jaw in a fall from the BH Mallorca in Magaluf on June 8.
The hotel where he was injured is the one where four Brits were accused last month of starting a massive fire.
Police said after they suspected the holidaymakers had been trying to play a practical joke on a friend using an aerosol and a lighter.
The cost of the hotel blaze, which led to more than 100 guests on two floors being evacuated and seven tourists trapped on balconies being rescued by firefighters, has been put at more than £170,000 by police.
ABTA and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office launched an appeal last week for holidaymakers to avoid taking risks on hotel balconies following the spate of falls.
Nikki White, ABTA’s Director of Destinations and Sustainability, said: "With many people heading off on their summer holiday in the coming weeks - we strongly advise them to take care when on balconies and be aware about the potential risks.
“A moment of carelessness can have a devastating impact, not just on the holidaymaker themselves, but also on their family and friends.
“By working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, ABTA Members and local authorities in resort, we hope to help holidaymakers look after themselves and stay safe on holiday."
Julia Longbottom, FCO Consular Director, said: “Unfortunately, we have already seen a number of fatalities and very serious injuries caused by balcony falls this summer.
"We really do urge people to avoid taking risks around balconies.
"We will continue to work with teams in resorts this summer to ensure the message is communicated to holidaymakers.
"Whilst it is very important to make preparations ahead of holidays – such as taking out the right insurance – travellers should think about safety risks whilst on holiday too.
“Think balcony, safety, look out for friends and family and avoid doing anything that might cost a life.”
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