ALL GONE MED
Police crackdown as Brit tourists camp before dawn on Spanish beaches in bid to get best sun loungers
HOLIDAYING Brits are camping out from dawn to bag the best sun loungers.
Beach bandits at the Costa Blanca resort of Torrevieja have been spotted setting up just after 5.30am.
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They are then leaving their towels unattended until later in the day.
Council chiefs in the Mediterranean resort, an hour south of Benidorm, said they were aware of the problem and insisted police had been given powers to remove items seemingly abandoned on the sand.
Monica Gomez, Benidorm’s councillor for beaches and the environment, said: “There are cases of people who put out their sun umbrellas and sun loungers after beach cleaning finishes around 6am and then go for a stroll along the beach before the sun gets too strong.
“There are also people who put out their belongings at this early time of the morning and go home, and that is something that is not allowed.
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“By-laws mean police have the power to act when items are left on the beach in this way and it leads to conflict between beachgoers.
“They always act in order to mediate and try to resolve disputes to make sure both parties can enjoy a good day out on the sand.”
She added: “If it’s proved someone has abandoned their sun umbrella or sun lounger the police have the power to remove it.”
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Elsewhere, holidaymakers in Malaga have been queueing for up to two hours to bag prime spots beside the four-star Hotel Estival Torrequebrada’s pools.
Pictures show them sitting on chairs waiting for the gates to be opened by staff. Charlotte Chartell, 37, of Towcester, Northants, said: “There definitely aren’t enough sun loungers for the number of guests.
“As soon as the lifeguard opens the gate, they literally run in. It’s madness.”
And in Los Cristianos in Tenerife, one man was filmed making a mad dash for sun loungers.
He dumped towels on five of them after sprinting across the pool area at the Paradise Park Hotel ahead of other holidaymakers.
JULY ONE OF THE WETTEST
By Paul Sims
LAST month was one of the wettest Julys on record, the Met Office said.
Some areas saw three times their average rainfall — while the national average figure of 5.5ins of rain was well above the typical 3.5ins.
It made it the sixth wettest July since records began in 1836.
And August is likely to be the same, with heavy downpours and cooler temperatures predicted for at least the next fortnight.
The Met office warned: “There are currently no strong signals for any warmer or more settled weather.”
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