Pensioners fined £250 for reserving sunbeds at Spain holiday hotspot

Pensioners were left stunned after a holiday resort started dishing out fines to tourists who reserve sunbeds at a particular time of day.

A local council near Valencia, Spain, has ticked off two elderly holidaymakers for "booking their places" on the frontline before 8am. The nationality of the sun-seekers has not been revealed, but they were two men, one aged 75, the other 80.

Police say they failed to comply with the regulations for access and use of the San Antonio beach at Cullera which is about 25 miles from Valencia city. Officers were patrolling the area before 8am. Access to the beach is banned between 5am and 8am to allow for cleaning work.

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Both pensioners were marking out a space on the sand, right by the shoreline - a practice expressly prohibited according to the local ordinance. Municipal sources stressed that during these months, it is forbidden to reserve a place on the beach by placing umbrellas, towels or other objects, even if they are occupied without supervision.

The police are authorised to remove them and offenders face penalties ranging from 300 to 750 euros (£259 to £648), according to current regulations. "This type of action seeks to guarantee access to the beach by all citizens, preserve cleanliness and order on the beaches and avoid practices that violate the public domain," said a council spokesman.

The authority insists that compliance with these rules "does not seek to penalise but to ensure citizen coexistence and the proper functioning of an essential public resource during the summer such as San Antonio beach."

Valencia had pre-warned before this summer that the region would be getting tough on tourists and locals alike for flouting the rules. The coast of Cullera is just one of the Spanish resorts facing the "war of the umbrellas" summer after summer.

The reservation of spaces on the beach, which generates constant complaints, began to be combated with municipal campaigns and specific ordinances from 2017 when the city council intensified surveillance and established the first sanctions.

In the latest campaign, the council wants to step up its crackdown. Beach staff have the authority to of remove abandoned objects and the police can impose fines ranging from 300 to 750 euros in minor cases or up to 3,000 euros in the most serious cases.

It comes as British holidaymakersare now facing a fresh 'sunbed tax' in Spain, with warnings that those heading to the European Union could be slapped with fines exceeding £200. Tourists who try to reserve sun loungers at certain Spanish destinations risk being hit with a hefty €250 (approximately £216) penalty, travel insurer Tiger has warned. The clampdown is taking place in popular areas like Barcelona and Costa Blanca.

The new regulation comes into effect following "numerous" grievances about sunbeds being held for hours without anyone using them. One Briton shared their thoughts: "Never had an issue with going to France. The people are nice and if you try and speak French they will speak English. Its the people in power that is the problem."

Another vented their frustration: "Why do the Brits enjoy inflicting pain on themselves? The EU doesn't want Brits just their money Spain has continued an economic war on UK citizens other EU countries are doing the sane."

The growing resentment towards the EU's perceived exploitation of UK tourists is palpable. Calls for a peaceful boycott to force change are gaining traction as one person put it: "Let the Spanish have their ideological socialism. Why contribute?" Meanwhile, another remarked: "Sunbed war hoggers are selfish and deserve a fine."

"About time! Totally agree with this. Ruins it for other tourists who cant find one," another voiced their support. "They loved us before bringing in the money now they don't well let the restaurants and bars go skint and reap what they sow just don't bother going there take your holidays and money elsewhere," another user remarked.