Brits heading to Benidorm warned over 'heavy fines'

UK holidaymakers are being cautioned about 'hefty fines' for a common error on Benidorm's beaches, with a stark message: "You've been warned."

A British expat and travel expert based in Benidorm, known as Frank the Stag Man, has issued an urgent alert to Brits via TikTok regarding a frequent blunder, reports Birmingham Live.

In his video, he advises against visiting the town's beaches after dark, captioning the clip: "Warning. Benidorm beach at night. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED."

Frank explained: "First of all, you've got to take into account that you can get heavily fined if you're found on the beach at night after hours."

He continued, albeit with a caveat: "But, to be honest with you, I've never heard of it or know of anyone who has ever had an issue with that, but it is what it is."

He went on to say: "The second thing is, you'll be amazed what happens down towards the front (of the beach). Lots of people come down here at night and get up to stuff that's...how can I put it? Naughty."

Frank further warned: "If you come down to the beach at night in Benidorm and you find a little corner or you put some deck chairs together to make a bit of a shield, please keep this in mind. There are people they call the "serpientes", the serpents, they hide in the deck chairs and will relieve you of your handbags, your phones, your wallets."

Brits are flocking back to Benidorm in record numbers, with tourism at an all-time high. For the first time since the pandemic began, British holidaymakers now outnumber locals in the popular Spanish resort. But the influx of tourists has also led to a rise in crime, with thieves targeting Brits.

Frank added: "And that includes when people are skinny dipping, there's a big chance you will lose your belongings. They do it night after night, it's all they do."

Toni Mayor, president of the regional hotel association, said: "The British have already taken the lead in Benidorm, surpassing Spanish tourists in market share for the first time, a fact that has not been seen since the start of the pandemic and confirms the good forecasts that the sector has handled since the sixth wave of the pandemic was controlled."