Latest news with #OrihuelaCosta
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE My dream £258,000 retirement flat in Spain went up in flames - and firefighters took 90 minutes to arrive: Devastated Brit, 78, left homeless after wildfire ravaged town
A British expat has told how his dream retirement to Spain has gone up in smoke after his home was destroyed by a wildfire - because the town where he lives has no fire service. Rodney Mays, 78, is homeless after the blaze ripped through his €300,000 apartment in Orihuela Costa. He believes the devastating damage - estimated at around €25,000 - could have been avoided if firefighters had not taken 90 minutes to arrive. The crew had to be loaned from a city half an hour away, only for them to arrive at the wrong address, delaying them further. The lack of firefighters is one of many issues plaguing Orihuela Costa, an otherwise idyllic spot on the Costa Blanca that is loved by Brits for its white sand beaches and friendly expat community. These include a surge in petty crime, poor sewage maintenance and subpar rubbish collection. Brits are so fed-up of 'being ignored' by local politicians that they are holding a protest on Monday to demand the regional government intervene. Rodney told MailOnline how he was in the pub on May 11 when he received a call from his wife that a fire had started in the field below their two-bedroom, two-bathroom home - which sits on the Las Ramblas golf course. The flames quickly spread due to a brisk wind and before long it was blowing sparks onto the facade of their property. Several neighbours phoned the emergency services, and while police arrived relatively quickly to evacuate, the firefighters took much longer. Rodney said: 'It took at least one hour for the fire brigade to turn up, because the nearest station is in Torrevieja, another city. 'Then, because they didn't know this area very well, they went all the way to the other side of the field, where there had been a fire last summer. 'By the time they got to us it had been about 90 minutes, and then we were told that some of their fire hoses were too short.' Rodney said a helicopter and plane were roped into the battle which 'made all the difference.' However, the delays caused the fire to spread to their balcony, destroying its exterior, flooring, furniture, awning, glass doors, barbecue grill, satellite dish and more. Rodney said his insurance will barely cover a quarter of the costs, although the claims process is ongoing. He said his insurance will barely cover a quarter of the costs, although the claims process is ongoing Meanwhile, Rodney and 650 other homeowners are demanding the city council take action to avoid a repeat. 'We hired an agricultural expert who said the field of trees is protected land and that there should be at least a 30-metre gap between the land and construction. 'There was already a fire last June which just avoided us, and nothing was done after that.' Rodney said the owners have presented a fire plan to the city council in the hopes they will cut back the trees and vegetation to lower the risk of future infernos. 'We bought the flat because we knew the land was protected and that they wouldn't be able to build right next to us and block our view,' he added. 'We never imagined a fire would be able to take hold and reach our property.' Rodney warned Brits looking to buy in Spain to do their research when selecting an area, and to 'spend a bit of time there' before taking the plunge. He also warned of the 'painful' Spanish bureaucracy, which he said partly inspired him to vote to Leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum. Homeowners have presented a fire plan to the city council in the hopes they will cut back the trees and vegetation to lower the risk of future infernos However, he admitted that despite the negative aspects, the healthcare and lifestyle is unmatched and that he feels incredibly fit for his age. But the lack of a fire service is just one of several issues affecting Orihuela Costa, where a lack of police and resources has allegedly reached critical levels. Expats are so fed-up that they are holding a protest on Monday to demand the regional government take over control of the local council. Rodney told MailOnline: 'It's a big, big problem, we've been complaining about these things ever since we've been living here. 'The rubbish bins have been broken for five years, and the collection is poor, there are bins overflowing.' Organising the protest is fellow Brit Priscilla Cromie, 52, who has become a leading voice for the expat community. The Belfast native is one of the founders of the newest political party on the scene, named PIOC (Partido Independencia Orihuela Costa). They are planning to take over the local council at the next local elections and are making sure every expat is registered to vote. They are planning to take over the local council at the next local elections Orihuela Costa is governed by Orihuela City Council, which also governs Orihuela City, the capital of the municipality situated some 32km inland. The latter is where the Spanish councillors live and is therefore prioritised when it comes to funding for vital services and resources, expats claim. Priscilla told MailOnline last month: 'When I first moved here decades ago it was a village, but now it's a proper town and none of the services or resources have been upgraded to keep up with demand. 'There's no police stations after 2pm, so you have to go and make a report far away in another town. There's no 24hr ambulances and no firefighters. 'We don't even have a library, there's no help here at all and there's practically no social services – they have one office but nothing gets done. I applied for my son's disability badge 24 years ago and I've still not received it.' Adding salt to the wound is the 'extreme' differences in services between Orihuela Costa, where most of the British expats live, and Orihuela City, where the Spanish councillors live. Priscilla explained: 'They're spending €30m on a new museum in the city centre, and they have automated rubbish bins that open with the wave of a hand – meanwhile our bins are broken and don't open while rubbish has been piling up in the street.'
The Sun
16-06-2025
- The Sun
Irishman, 29, rushed to hospital after being stabbed near shopping centre in popular Spain resort as probe launched
AN IRISHMAN has been rushed to hospital after being stabbed in Spain. The shocking incident happened in the same area of Costa Blanca where an Irish national was left critically injured last month after being shot in the head. The 29-year-old was rushed to hospital in the early hours of yesterday morning after being attacked near a shopping centre in La Zenia a short drive south of Torrevieja. He is still at Torrevieja Hospital and his condition has not been made public although his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The alarm was raised around 1.30am on Sunday with reports of a man bleeding in the street. The victim, said to be known to police, reportedly declined to identify his attacker. An ongoing investigation into the incident is being led by the Civil Guard. The same police force revealed late last month it had arrested two men on suspicion of the attempted murder of an Irish national left fighting for his life in a hospital intensive care unit. The 21-year-old was shot in the head near the same shopping centre called La Zenia Boulevard where Sunday's incident took place. Detectives revealed on May 27 they had held two male suspects aged 27 and 45 who they later confirmed were also Irish. The shooting took place on the night of May 13. One of the suspects was held in Orihuela Costa and the other in nearby Pilar de la Horadada. A Civil Guard spokesman said at the time: 'A court in Orihuela has remanded one of the men, considered to be the shooter, in prison, while the other has been released on bail as a suspected accomplice but banned from leaving the country.' Detectives have not said what they thought the motive behind the crime was. Well-placed sources said today they did not believe the two incidents were linked. 1
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The British expat paradise in Spain that turned to hell: Robbery gangs that target Brits, murders... and local police who protect their own
British expats in Spain are demanding action over a 'terrifying' surge in crime that has turned their idyllic seaside town into a 'petty criminal's paradise.' Orihuela Costa is just over an hour's drive south of Benidorm and is loved for its stunning beaches, picturesque coves and friendly expat community. The haven is one of the most popular resorts in Spain for Brits, who are drawn in by its white sandy beaches and more laid back way of life, particularly compared to nearby bigger cities like Alicante or Benidorm. The number of British residents in Orihuela Costa has soared to roughly 10,000 over the past decade, meaning they now account for more than 12 percent of the population. But over the past year, an uptick in murders, break-ins and muggings has left residents living in a 'climate of fear', not least as a growing number of victims are British. The region grabbed headlines in May when a 21-year-old Irish gangster was shot in the head in a gangland assassination attempt. In November last year, a 15-year-old Spanish girl named Chloe had her throat slit in the middle of the street, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend and an accomplice. It comes as the so-called 'Backpack Burglar' continues to terrorise British homes in Orihuela despite his face being clearly visible in doorbell camera footage handed to police. He is just one of many criminals who have been filmed trying to break into cars and properties over the past few months. Elsewhere, British bars have been broken into and robbed, including one this week, with business owners feeling 'ignored' by the lack of police support. The situation is not helped by a local police force that has shrunk over the past two years and which has 17 positions that remain unfilled, including a superintendent, 14 officers and two inspectors, reports local Spanish paper Informacion. Orihuela Costa is governed by Orihuela City Council, which also governs Orihuela City, the capital of the municipality situated some 32km inland. The latter is where the Spanish councillors live and is therefore prioritised when it comes to funding for vital services and resources, expats claim. Allan Dick, 68, is the president of his complex in Orihuela Costa, named Villa San Jose 4. He told MailOnline: 'When I speak to residents, there is a climate of fear that is growing and it is completely understandable. 'They are seeing people creeping around complexes at night and peering into homes to see which are targets for robbing or squatting. 'The criminals are increasingly brazen because they know they can get away with it due to the lack of police presence. 'People are now thinking twice about moving to the area because they don't know if they will feel safe. 'Next year we are going to have to install lots more CCTV in the apartment complexes.' He told MailOnline that two men jumped out of a gap in a hedge and beat him with a wooden club before stabbing him in the head with a blade, leaving him with a huge gash that required stitches He said that one British expat this week has decided to sell up after he returned home and discovered burglars had attempted to break in. 'His daughters were terrified and he decided 'that's it, we're packing up', it's a shame,' Allan added. It comes after retired firefighter David Homer was attacked while walking home in the Las Ramblas area of Orihuela Costa on the night of Friday, April 18. He told MailOnline that two men jumped out of a gap in a hedge and beat him with a wooden club before stabbing him in the head with a blade, leaving him with a huge gash that required stitches. He said: 'The first one hit me over the head with a wooden stick, and I hit him, but his mate slashed me with a knife, or a blade… which caused a lot of bleeding and I couldn't see. 'Then I was on the floor and he was kicking me, and they wanted my phone, and they wanted my wallet.' David said it would take him 'a while' to recover mentally from the attack, which he believes was carried out by two Moroccan men. He also said he was 'disgusted' after having to wait until Monday to report the crime, because the police station was closed over the weekend. He claimed that while at the station, four other muggings were being reported. He said: 'How can this be happening when we are supposed to be living in Spain, enjoying ourselves in the sunshine, it's terrible. 'The services are terrible, rubbish is piling up, there's weeds everywhere, there's no police presence, squatters can go into anyone's house and they've got more rights than anyone else.' Roy Howitt, who lives in the La Florida neighbourhood, said there has been a 'marked increase in crime over the last 11 months.' An image from his doorbell camera taken in May shows a thug brandishing a knife while trying to break-in at three o'clock in the morning. The retired estate agent told MailOnline this week: 'The last time a police car passed my house, as it is all caught on my cameras, was three months ago. 'I have lived here 21 years and worked until three years ago as an estate agent and there has been a marked increase in crime over the last 11 months. 'The robbers know that the police are under-resourced, they don't patrol these areas. 'I have a high wall with four cameras watching and have recently invested in personal attack alarms that we carry on key chains.' Roy said the robbers have previously pulled wires to disable alarms and lights in the streets they target. He has now installed cameras that run on solar energy and immediately save footage to the cloud. He added: 'Because of the potential break in I have helped five neighbours install solar IP cameras.' Briton Stephen Walley, 62, has lived in Orihuela Costa for 10 years and is the vice president of his complex. His own CCTV camera has picked up masked men attempting to break into cars in the street. He told MailOnline: 'The number of cameras has indeed gone up a lot. People are a little more wary these days. 'The whole of Orihuela Costa is suffering. You have seen the state of the streets and rubbish everywhere.' He said further outrage was sparked this year when their taxes for rubbish collection increased from €72 per year per household to €202. Priscilla Cromie, 52, from Belfast, has decided to take matters into her own hands by attempting to get Brits and other expats elected as councillors. She is one of the founding members of the newest political party on the scene, named PIOC (Partido Independencia Orihuela Costa). She told MailOnline this week: 'There's just a severe lack of police presence, and a lot of drug gangs are operating in this area at the moment. 'This area has actually had the highest number of murders in the shortest amount of time in Spain, it's unbelievable. 'When I first moved here decades ago it was a village, but now it's a proper town and none of the services or resources have been upgraded to keep up with demand. 'There's no police stations after 2pm, so you have to go and make a report far away in another town. There's no 24hr ambulances and no firefighters. 'We don't even have a library, there's no help here at all and there's practically no social services - they have one office but nothing gets done. I applied for my son's disability badge 24 years ago and I've still not had it.' Adding salt to the wound is the 'extreme' differences in services between Orihuela Costa, where most of the British expats live, and Orihuela City, where the Spanish councillors live. Priscilla explained: 'They're spending €30m on a new museum in the city centre, and they have automated rubbish bins that open with the wave of a hand - meanwhile our bins are broken and don't open while rubbish has been piling up in the street.' Brits have begun protesting against the situation in recent weeks, with a demonstration against the bin problem bringing a crowd of 400 people at the end of May. Priscilla said the council began filling in potholes the day after the protest and admitted the bin situation had 'slightly improved' since - but insists there is far more work to be done.
