Pictured: ‘Sunbed wars’ heat up in Spain as police crackdown on ‘beach hoggers’ on the Costa del Sol

SPANISH police are cracking down on ‘beach hoggers’ on the Costa del Sol.

Photos shared online this week showed a team of local officers removing sunbeds, towels and umbrellas from the shores of Torrox.

It is currently illegal to attempt to reserve a spot on the beach by leaving parasols or beds unattended.

Each year, the town hall of Torrox, a resort popular with British tourists, launches its ‘war’ against the practice, with the back of police trucks seen piled up with sunloungers.

One tourist from Madrid shared some photos of the latest haul online this week, writing on TikTok: “You can’t occupy a place on the beach while you go to eat, but people can squat your house and the law protects them… what do you think?”

The removal of sunbeds is controversial as many locals argue police do not know exactly how long the towels or beds have been left for.

Additionally, people may have gone to a local restaurant to eat.

But according to the law, ‘the reservation of physical space on the beaches is prohibited, at any time of the day or night, by placing any type of object or equipment on the sand (chairs, umbrellas, tables, awnings, etc.) without the physical presence of an owner.’

Any such objects removed by police are stored for up to 14 days before being disposed of.

If you want to reclaim them, you will have to pay a fine of €30.