THIS is the moment two British tourists were kicked off their sunbeds in Benidorm after entering the pool area before it officially opened.
Video footage shows a security guard waving his finger and shouting ‘no, no, no!’ at the two men as he frantically made hand gestures towards his watch.
The men were then escorted away from the beds at the Melia Hotel and told to get to the back of a queue, which had been forming at the pool area’s entrance.
It comes as hotels are bracing for the dreaded sunbed wars this year, which may be starting earlier than ever. This week two elderly tourists were branded ‘selfish’ for laying on stacks of sunbeds in Benidorm.
At Melia, the pair of holidaymakers had attempted to take two beds at 8.40am, going against the policy of the hotel, which appears to be laying down the law this year.
The pool area and its beds are strictly off limits until 9am, with guests forced to queue behind a rope cordon.
A security guard in a bright yellow top keeps a watchful eye for sunseekers attempting to cheat the system by nabbing a bed early.
Those who have paid for Level Lounge Access, however, can relax in a roped-off area of VIP beds from as early as they like.
At 9am, the guard releases the rope cordon, unleashing a flock of British tourists who scurry to secure their preferred spots by the pool.
Travellers have started their antics earlier than ever this year, with many Brits at the Melia seen carrying stacks of towels to reserve a row of beds before immediately slinking off to the buffet breakfast.
Kids were filmed running ahead with towels to secure their family’s favourite spot for the day.
It comes after the hotel witnessed identical scenes last August, at the height of the season.
Clare Fairbrother, 49 from Warrington, Cheshire described the scenes as ‘crazy’ during a holiday with husband David, 50, and daughter Lily, 10.
They filmed the moment Brits made a run for the sunbeds from the VIP area.
She said at the time: “Ok we thought it was funny and crazy to watch this at 9am having breakfast…
“About 50 people in the queue and 20 of them ran. I didn’t see it get violent but people were sending their children ahead first as they are quicker I think.
“The hotel restricted the doors being open to the sunbed area until 9am.”