Mallorca sunbed wars escalate following British tourist's viral itching powder prank

After spotting rows of empty sunbeds reserved with towels from dawn, one holidaymaker decided to take matters into his own hands, dividing opinion online

Sunbed wars have reached new levels in Mallorca after a British tourist resorted to itching powder to get back at guests reserving loungers for hours at a time.

What is often one of the biggest grumbles among holidaymakers staying at busy resorts has once again made headlines, with a viral social media video reigniting debate over people claiming sunbeds with towels before breakfast and then leaving them empty for much of the day.

Frustrated by the sight of rows of unused loungers, one holidaymaker decided to take matters into his own hands.

Revenge on reserved sunbeds

The man behind the stunt is 31-year-old Tom Caunce, who reportedly became frustrated after watching guests reserve sunbeds early in the morning and then leave them empty for much of the day.

According to reports, the incidents took place on June 6-7. After seeing rows of loungers claimed with towels from as early as 6:00am, Caunce decided to act.

What he described as a 'playful act of revenge' involved sprinkling itching powder onto towels that had been left on sunbeds while their owners were elsewhere.

A video posted on TikTok by the account @bavarianmotors90 appears to show the prank in action. One woman reportedly noticed the powder before using the towel, while another guest returned several hours later and experienced the effects after drying off with it.

@bavarianmotors90 #fyp #itching #prankwars #practicaljokes #sunbedwars ♬ original sound - Bavarian Motors

Caunce later shared the footage online, where it has attracted more than 864,000 views. The video shows one holidaymaker repeatedly scratching after leaving the pool.

Opinions divided over sunbed revenge

The prank has divided opinion online, with more than 13,000 interactions recorded across social media.
Some users praised the stunt, saying they could understand the frustration of seeing sunbeds left empty for hours after being reserved first thing in the morning. Others, however, said using an irritant crossed the line and could have caused unnecessary discomfort or harm.

Some of the strongest criticism described the behaviour as 'disturbing', with critics arguing that applying any substance to another person's belongings goes beyond what most people would consider acceptable, regardless of how frustrating the situation may be.

The story has once again put the spotlight on the long-running issue of sunbed reservations at busy holiday resorts, something that continues to divide opinion and frustrate many travellers during the peak summer season.

Read also: Spain set to raise VAT on holiday homes to 21% under new housing plan

Image: Archive