Brits heading to Spain warned of strict new fines – affecting drunk tourists

BRITS heading to Barcelona this summer have been warned to expect more police on the streets – and drunk tourists could be caught out.

The capital city is hoping to shake off its reputation of being notorious for thefts and muggings.

Called "Operation Summer," the council has said there will be 12 per cent more police on the streets during the busy summer period.

Previous figures released by Spain's interior ministry showed that in 2018, there were on average 12 robberies an hour, although this dropped during the pandemic due to the lack of tourists.

This led to locals even forming their own 'crime-fighting patrols' in 2019, after the rise in muggings and robberies against tourists in the city.

Figures have jumped back up again since Brits have been returning – more than 80 arrests were made over a single May weekend for thefts, according to local media.

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And there are fears that robberies will exceed Barcelona's 2019 figure.

In response, areas such as the beaches, the old city and popular tourist areas will have more law enforcement around.

And those caught by police will face steeper fines.

However, Brits are also being warned that the extra police will be on the lookout for drunk and disorderly behaviour.

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Some police will be plain-clothed, so rowdy Brits could also find themselves on the end of the police.

It's not the only part of Spain cracking down on anti-social behaviour.

Brits on some of the Spanish islands face fines up to £50k for drunken behaviour.

And Brits heading to Spain's popular holiday resorts have also been warned to expect closed restaurants and bars due to a shortage in staff this summer.

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