ARCHIVED - El Campello to close beaches at night to stop parties and gatherings
Rise in number of 'botellones' forces the closure of beaches in El Campello, Alicante province, between 1am and 6am.
El Campello Council has taken the decision to close its coastline from 1am to 6am, to tackle illegal gatherings and late night parties.
The move follows a "notable" increase in the number of young people who gather on the municipality's sandy areas for drinking sessions, known as botellones.
There is currently a curfew imposed in 18 towns in Alicante province to try to curb a surge in infections, but not in El Campello.
According to the Local Police, officers responded to more than 40 complaints about parties on the beaches of Muchavista and Carrer la Mar, as well as coves, which forced them to triple the number of officers on duty and even request support from the Guardia Civil.
Between Saturday and Sunday alone (July 31 and August 1), almost 25 botellones and parties were broken up, mostly involving young people from outside the town, "which meant a significant increase in workload for the local police".
The closure of El Campello's beaches from 1am to 6am will come into force on Friday, August 6 until the 16th, and "strict police controls" will be put in place "to try to stop a phenomenon that is almost unprecedented in the municipality".
And the local council is warning that anybody who flouts the measure, or their guardians in the case of minors, face fines of up to €3,000.
According to data from the Valencia region's Ministry of Health, more than half (57 per cent) of coronavirus cases associated with outbreaks in the three provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellon, in July were amongst 15 to 34-year-olds, and 79.3 per cent of the outbreaks have a social origin.
IMAGE: Ayuntamiento de El Campello
Read more about Coronavirus:
OR
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin to get a comprehensive email with all the week’s news for Spain, Murcia, Alicante and Andalucía.
Get a sneak peek – here are a few of our recent Subscription Bulletins:
50% Discount Special Offer subscription:
24.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.