Benidorm’s famous beaches are used by hundreds of thousands of people every year and the council faces enormous problems keeping them clean. The beach cleaning machines appear twice a day, last thing at night and first thing in a morning to clear rubbish and filter the sand.

However, some beach users are making more work and hindering the progress of the cleaners. People eating food on the beach at night are just leaving cartons and rubbish in situ – FIVE TONS more than last year – and the dawn patrol who arrive to reserve a prime position on the beach by staking a parasol and then leaving for hours, causing an obstruction for the machine.

To solve these problems the council are going to levy some hefty penalties against anyone who breaks the new rules. Nobody will be allowed on the beach between midnight and 7.00 (€750 fine), reserving your space with a parasol is prohibited (€150), no bathing when the red flag is flying (€1000), no bat and ball games except in special areas(€120) and so on.

The rules are designed to make the beach safe, pleasant and comfortable for all users and other measures include, no alcohol, no fishing, no animals, no vendors, no flyers, and of course (and I quote) “no physiological evacuations in the sea or on the beach.”

That should keep everything nice and tidy!