Laurence Dollimore
AN anti-tourism campaign in Marbella is targeting cars with UK number plates by slashing their tyres and daubing them with graffiti – as fed-up locals tell the English to ‘go back to your country’ in a string of online posts.
At least four vehicles have been targeted on the resort’s exclusive Golden Mile, with photos showing a Fiat 500 and a black vehicle emblazoned with bright pink spray paint.
The latter was pictured being towed away after also having its tyres slashed.
Police reportedly made one arrest at the weekend after finding a man approaching vehicles on his bike with a graffiti bottle in hand.
A black Mercedes was also pictured with all four tyres punctured.
The owner wrote in a social media post: “This happened to my car with UK plates last weekend in Puente Romano… two tyres punctured with a screwdriver or something similar.”
The owner of the Fiat 500 said: “I had my car sprayed today next to the Puente Romano hotel, parked on the road by the beach.
“Apparently it happened to other cars last week by a guy targeting English number plates.”
But instead of receiving comments of solidarity, the posts have been met with a wave of anti-British comments from locals.
One branded the English ‘the most annoying humans in the world’, adding: “You just drink beer and disturb the people who live here.’
Another said: “People aren’t happy about English tourists, we want quality’, while one encouraged the vandalism, writing: “Good job! We should do that with all GB plates.”
A local woman accused Brits of not bothering to try to speak Spanish while visiting.
She added: “It’s annoying, this is why we want them to go back to their country.”
British expats have fought back, with one declaring: “If it wasn’t for the English Marbella would still be a throwback fishing village… ungrateful b******.”
Local police said it was aware of the incidents but could not comment on any ongoing investigation.
