Following unwelcome Spanish newspaper coverage which showed a drunk asleep on a step in La Manga, surrounded by broken bottles and rubbish, police presence in the El Zoco Alcazaba is to be intensified for the remainder of the summer.
Both the Policia Local and the Guardia Civil will be more visible in the area, clamping down on sales of alcohol to minors, carrying out checks in local shops to ensure that the law is being complied with, and patrolling more frequently in the areas usually frequented by groups of youngsters, ensuring that the area is clear of trouble for the remainder of the summer until the high spirited holidaymakers head back to the cities.
Shops caught selling alcohol to under 18's can be fined up to 1208 euros, and drinking in the street also carries a fine of 120 euros. It's just a shame no-one was on hand to levy these fines last weekend, as a good deal of the municipal debt could have been cleared in one foul swoop on Saturday evening.
The decision to increase police presence came following a security meeting between those responsible for tourism, security, and police, after a number of complaints from residents and business owners last weekend, as well as the press coverage which raised concerns that incidents of this nature could damage the area's tourism potential.
With politicians nationwide on holiday, journalists are scratching around for something to write about, and complaining residents always makes a good local news story.
Cartagena council have also been clearing up after the big techno-party last weekend which left part of La Manga looking like a rubbish tip.
The company responsible for running the rave sent down a token 4 people to clear the site following complaints from the council, but by the time they arrived, council workers had already entered the area and cleared up most of the rubbish, leaving the clean up team little to do .
A hefty bill has now been despatched to the organisers, so it is likely that residents of Torrevieja will be able to enjoy the thump thump of techno-beats until 7am in the morning and have their beach areas converted into a rubbish tip next summer instead.
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