Eloise HorsfieldBRITONS arrested in Spain have been urged to stop taking risks with the law, as arrests increase by an incredible nine per cent.
There were 1,909 arrests in Spain involving Britons in the year leading up to March 2012 – that’s 162 more than in the previous year.
Alcohol is blamed for a large number of the arrests, with half involving under 34s and many taking place in holiday destinations such as the Canary Islands and Ibiza.
In Malaga arrests were down overall four per cent – but this Andalucian province appears to be is something of a hotspot for drugs crimes, with 34 Britons arrested on drugs-related charges over the 12 months.
Often holidaymakers have ‘unrealistic expectations’ of how much the Foreign Office will protect them once they have got into trouble with the law in Spain.
“All too often they think they’ll spend the night in a cell sleeping off their hangover before being let out in the morning,” said Consul for Spain David Thomas, who explained that many incidents involved young people ‘causing trouble’ outside bars and clubs.
“They soon sober up when they realise their British passport does not grant them immunity and they’re alone in a foreign prison cell, unsure of when they’ll be released and unable to speak to officers because they don’t speak the language.”
He added: “It’s particularly sad to see younger people throwing away years of their lives, often as a result of a risky decision made in the heat of the moment and after a few too many drinks.”
ive seen it first hand the police are very tollerent but the brits just seem to antagonise them as for the drugs keep the out there sick of them
If you can’t come to Spain and drink in a responsible manner like those of us who live here please stay away, I don’t want to be tarred with the same brush as drunken British louts. I heard times were tough in the UK but that must be a lie if you can afford to fly to Spain and drink yourselves stupid and fight. By the way I came to Spain to get away from you drunks please don’t follow me.
Peter – do you act the same on holiday as you do at home? I doubt it. Holidays are a time to forget the rigours of daily life and for a lot of tourists (not just British!) alcohol makes it easy and fun. A lot of the responsibility must also go to the bars who continuously break the law by serving people who are already intoxicated. Don’t always blame the punter. The bars have a responsibility too.
Dai – yes, the Spanish police are very tolerant of Spanish people but not so when foreigners are involved.
Peter- You came to Spain to get away from drunks?
Seriously? Try Saudi Arabia, no drunk louts there.
Andy I don’t need to get drunk to have fun and never did even when wanting to get away from the rigours of daily life as you call it. louis in seville YES, there is no problem with drunks where I live in Spain and I don’t expect there to be a total ban on alcohol for people to drink in moderation. There seems to be a culture these days that you can only enjoy yourself if you get raging drunk throw up and fight, what a pathetic world we live in that this culture has grown and even worse that people on here condone it.
@Andy I thought so, that the British only misbehaved when they were on holidays, but then I came to live in the UK and I saw that the Britons behave in the same way the whole time. You don’t need to pass out or get into fights when you drink, just drink and have fun, and you haven’t learnt that yet…
Some of this problem, but not all, would be REDUCED if they passed/enforced an American law which holds the bar tender & FACILITY legally responsible for any injuries/damages caused by serving alcohol to any person who “appears drunk”. When $$ or prison term is at stake, they err on the safe side before serving.
Of course this doesn’t work for those trying to FLY off a balcony – usually that first attempt is enough