Two weeks to go before lines for pay-as-you-go mobile phones will be automatically deactivated if their owners have previously failed to register

Two weeks to go before lines for pay-as-you-go mobile phones will be automatically deactivated if their owners have previously failed to register their details with their operators.The move comes under a new law which came into effect in November 2007 as a consequence of the Madrid train bomb attacks on 11th March 2004, when the bombs were set off by pre-paid mobile phones. Registration has been obligatory since the law came into force, but 20 million...

27 year old girl has died in Residencial Monte Marbella at Artola Alta in Marbella

27 year old girl has died in Residencial Monte Marbella at Artola Alta in Marbella after falling to the ground as she tried to get into her own home through a window after forgetting her keys inside.EFE news agency quotes municipal sources as saying the victim is a foreigner, but her nationality has not yet been released. Named with the initials A.K. she was returning home after celebrating her birthday and had climbed a pergola to reach the window....

Ronald Priestley, who was one of Britain's most wanted men, fled to Spain's "Costa del Crime"

Ronald Priestley, who was one of Britain's most wanted men, fled to Spain's "Costa del Crime" in 2005 after masterminding the £4.25million fake banknote fraud.The 69-year-old was sentenced to eight years in jail in his absence but was eventually arrested by Spanish police in Marbella.At Leeds Crown Court on Friday, Judge Peter Collier told Priestley: "Your sentence commences today." In 2006 a jury heard that after a surveillance operation on Priestley...

Ronald Priestley, 69, of Colton, Leeds, fled to Spain in 2005 after masterminding a £4.25m counterfeit banknote fraud.

He was sentenced to eight years in jail in his absence and was finally arrested when Spanish police swooped on a villa in Marbella earlier this month.Priestley was the subject of a world-wide man hunt after failing to attend a Leeds Crown Court hearing in August 2005, where he faced charges of conspiracy to counterfeit £20 banknotes with a face value of £4.25m.He returned to the court yesterday to formally begin his original sentence with an appearance...

Málaga province forced Chinese women into prostitution

Three people who forced Chinese women into prostitution, holding them for 24 hours a day in a property in Santa Pola which was used as the brothel, have been taken into custody by National Police. One woman who was found in the flat was freed by the officers who raided the property, which had been under surveillance for some time before police decided to make their move.The Interior Ministry said in a statement this week that the victims were ‘recruited’...

British man, wanted in connection with causing the death of another driver

British man, wanted in connection with causing the death of another driver when he was drunk and driving against the traffic last June, has been arrested by the National Police in Alicante Airport. The arrest came as part of a joint operation with the SOCA, British Serious Organised Crime Agency. Named as P.L. he was born in Glasgow in 1981 and had been driving a van against the traffic on the motorway at Larkhall in Scotland when the accident happened,...

Arrested two Britons and Irishman in connection with the theft of top of the range cars in the U.K.

National Police in Orihuela Costa, Alicante have arrested two Britons and Irishman in connection with the theft of top of the range cars in the U.K. which were then brought to Spain to be sold illegally, or to be used in the carrying out of other crimes.The first arrest came when one of those detained was driving a Mercedes ML 270 on false British plates, and checks established it had been stolen in the U.K. After he was arrested the other members...

77 year old Sheila Peterkin, originally from Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, and her husband, Jorge Pérez, a former philosophy professor, were found stabbed t

The couple's bodies being removed from the scene of the murder - EFESheila Peterkin and her husband, Jorge Pérez, were stabbed to death by their mentally ill sonThe Glasgow Sunday Mail has revealed that the woman who, with her husband, was killed by her schizophrenic son at her Madrid home last weekend, was a Scottish woman who had moved to Spain in the 1950s.77 year old Sheila Peterkin, originally from Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, and her husband, Jorge...

Whiskeria murder in Marbella

fatal stabbing of a young Romanian woman in Marbella on Friday night is under investigation by police as a domestic violence murder, following the arrest of the victim’s ex boyfriend in connection with her death. Also from Romania, the 30 year old is reported by Diario Sur to have been in a relationship with the victim for a number of years.The 26 year old woman died outside a well-known alternative nightclub on the N-340 road between Puerto Banús...

Would-be bank robber who waited patiently in line for more than 10 minutes for his turn at the cash desk

Would-be bank robber who waited patiently in line for more than 10 minutes for his turn at the cash desk last Friday was overpowered by other customers queuing up at the branch in Málaga City, Diario Sur reports.His attire in the recent warm weather had already given some cause for suspicion: a cap with a visor pulled down to cover the upper part of his face, and a high-necked pullover covering part of his chin. Suspicions were confirmed when he...

Benitatxell attacked by hundreds of angry bees

German man out for a countryside walk with his wife in Benitatxell on Wednesday found himself suddenly attacked by hundreds of angry bees while he was passing a site which is used for commercial beekeeping. Diario Información notes that there are warning signs about the hives in the area.Named by the paper as 70 year old Hans Klaus V., a resident of Benitatxell, he was rushed to the local health centre in Teulada, where staff removed 300 stings from...

Prostitutes who ply their trade on the public way in Granada City will soon face a fine of up to 3,000 €

Prostitutes who ply their trade on the public way in Granada City will soon face a fine of up to 3,000 € under a new local by-law which comes into force next month. The measure also affects their clients.The new regulations, effective from 10th November, ban sexual relations or their negotiation in all public places, with the maximum sanction to be imposed if they take place within 200 metres of schools and residential and business areas.Granada...

Search for a missing 13 year old German boy who fell into the sea at Calpe on Thursday was called off

Search for a missing 13 year old German boy who fell into the sea at Calpe on Thursday was called off last night as rough seas continued to affect the area. The child had fallen into the sea from the breakwater on the Playa de la Fosa.The weather conditions complicated the search and lead to some of the firemen taking part being injured.Witnesses had reported seeing three people fall into the water, of whom two managed to get out, one unaided and...

officers allegedly took advantage of a prostitute’s illiteracy by charging her 600 € for a document they claimed was a residence permit

Four National Police officers, including a former Chief Inspector and his deputy, will sit on the accused bench along with a Civil Guard officer after their arrest following an 18 month internal investigation into illegal immigration, prostitution and drugs. The officers are accused of charging payments in return for turning a blind eye to local alternative nightclubs and, in one case, blackmailing the owner of one of the clubs who was in the country...

Mark Porter, 29, and 24-year-old Michelle Clydesdale died after they left their hotel in the resort of Salou, near Tarragona

Mark Porter, 29, and 24-year-old Michelle Clydesdale died after they left their hotel in the resort of Salou, near Tarragona, to go swimming in the early hours of Wednesday.They were with three other friends when they got into trouble and drowned.Ms Clydesdale was from Scotland but it is not known where Mr Porter was from in the UK.A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We can confirm the death of two British nationals (Mark...

“Malaya” case which revolved around corruption in the building developments ,mainly in Marbella on the Costa del Sol

“Malaya” case which revolved around corruption in the building developments ,mainly in Marbella on the Costa del Sol is now estimated to have involved the enormous figure of 670 million euros in money laundering deals.Most of this involves money received in exchange for “favours”in relation to building development in the city of Marbella. The money laundering is thought to have involved up to 27 people.These people it appears were under the control...

300 million pounds that police estimate boiler rooms will steal from U.K. investors this year

300 million pounds that police estimate boiler rooms will steal from U.K. investors this year compared with 100 million pounds in 2007. They say cold- calling share sellers are finding it easier to lure victims as people look for quicker returns in the wake of the financial crisis.Spain is the friendliest locale for boiler rooms that target U.K. investors, investigators say. Its major cities are only a two-hour flight from London, and the country...

670 million euros laundered money in Marbella

Money thought to have been laundered during the infamous ‘Malaya’ case in Marbella has been calculated at around 670 million euros.Most of this involves payments received in exchange for ‘favours’ relating to building development in the city, say police.It is said to have been laundered by up to 26 people who worked according to the orders of the alleged ringleader, former town planning assessor for Marbella Juan Antonio Roca.The suspects are spread...

Autopsy carried out on the body of the Boyzone singer, Stephen Gately

autopsy carried out on the body of the Boyzone singer, Stephen Gately, has determined that the 33 year old died from a severe pulmonary oedema, fluid on the lungs, according to sources quoted by El Mundo newspaper this Tuesday. He was found dead on Saturday after a night out while on holiday with his husband, Andrew Owles, on the island of Mallorca, and there has been speculation in the UK press that he may have choked on his own vomit.A Bulgarian...

Two ETA terrorists have already been found guilty for the attempted car bomb attack at Málaga Airport eight years ago

Two ETA terrorists have already been found guilty for the attempted car bomb attack at Málaga Airport eight years ago, but a third suspect comes before the National Court this Thursday where he will face a possible 14 years in prison for his part in the attack.The device was deactivated by the Tedax bomb disposal squad before it could go off, but the security lockdown put into place after the warning phone call came early on 26th July 2001 caused...

Delta Airlines direct link between Málaga and New York

Delta Airlines direct link between Málaga and New York, re-launched in June 2008, is to end for the winter, although the company foresees restarting the route at the end of March 2010.The last flight until then will be next Sunday, 18th October, despite average occupancy levels during the time it’s been in operation of 78%. Sources at the company described their basis for the decision to Europa Press as operational and strategic. The news agency...

Growing anger in Spain over British "health scroungers" has led to accusations that the country's health services are increasingly being used

Spanish doctors' trades unions are leading the charge against what has become known as "scalpel tourism", with easy-to-get hip and cataract operations allegedly attracting Britons who temporarily install themselves in Spain to skip queues at home.Growing anger in Spain over British "health scroungers" has led to accusations that the country's health services are increasingly being used by the estimated one million British people with homes in Spain...

Stig hanging out in Puerto Banus

Stig hanging out in Puerto Banus. Well the Top Gear blog have has now confirmed that the duo were out in the Costa del Sol filming for a new DVD that will hit the shelves in November.The DVD called Duel will showcase a number of speedy challenges and races. The challenge in question...

Antonio Banderas home ‘La Gaviota’ at Los Monteros in Marbella still under threat

Andalucía High Court has overruled an order suspending demolition of part of the propertyThere has been another set back for Antonio Banderas regarding his home ‘La Gaviota’ at Los Monteros in Marbella.The Andalucian High Court of Justice has rejected the ruling which had suspended the demolition of 150 of the 780 square metres of the villa, as well as the swimming pool for the property, considering that the land invades an area marked on the urban...

Civil Guard Colonel?

60 year old man, named by Europa Press as A.L.L., has been arrested by the Murcia Civil Guard after posing as a Colonel in the force for the past nine years. He always carried with him a Civil Guard badge and is understood to have often quoted details of the career history of high-ranking members of the force to give added credence to his claim.Even his former partner, who he was with for five years, believed he was a Civil Guard colonel during the...

Four Civil Guards from Almuñecar, arrested for drug trafficking, on Friday and found with 2,000 kilos of hashish, have been denied bail

Four Civil Guards from Almuñecar, arrested for drug trafficking, on Friday and found with 2,000 kilos of hashish, have been denied bail and sent to prison by Duty Court Number Two in Torrox. One of the four is now known to have been previously based in Nerja.Five other people were also detained on Friday, which saw a large number of police vehicles arriving and leaving from both the Civil Guard barracks in Nerja and in Almuñecar as members of the...

Foreign Mans Death Cause's riots in Roquetas de Mar Southern Spain

Immigrants went on a rampage in a southern Spanish town overnight throwing stones and bottles at police after a Senegalese man was stabbed to death, police and Spanish media said on Sunday. Police would only say that the killing of a man in the town of Roquetas de Mar, had sparked "altercations throughout the night in which immigrants were involved." Spanish media said African immigrants were enraged by the death of the Senegalese man, 28, who was...

Madrid, police shoot and wound armed man.

José Luis AT, was shot by police after waving and firing a weapon at them in the Madrid district of Hortaleza, reported a spokesman for Police Headquarters. The man, who had previous convictions for theft and violence, poor was admitted to the Clinical Hospital in Madrid after receiving at least four bullet wounds in the lower limbs of his body, including the buttocks and abdomen. The event occurred from 1700 hours today at number 6 Calle Manizales,...

Richard Henry Roberts, 36,found guilty of the murder of nightclub bouncer Daniel Hastelow

Richard Henry Roberts, 36,found guilty of the murder of nightclub bouncer Daniel Hastelow after a trial.But another Merseyside man, jointly accused of the killing in the popular resort of Palmanova in January last year, was acquitted by the jury of nine because of “lack of proof”.Roberts admitted stabbing the 26-year-old victim, from Walsall, seven times.But he claimed it was self defence when the four-day trial began on Monday.Yesterday, the jury...

Paul Anthony Griffiths aquitted in Daniel Hastelow murder case

The jury accepted the defence argument that evidence was not produced to support prosecution claims that Paul Anthony Griffiths, 23, also from Liverpool, took part in the deliberate killing of Mr Hastelow.It was alleged Griffiths beat the victim with a baseball bat as he lay sleeping in an apartment in the resort on the island’s south coast.Griffiths admitted being present when Mr Hastelow was killed, but denied taking any part in his death.The jury...

Daniel Hastelow murder case

36 year old Briton, Richard Henry Roberts, has been sent to prison for 18 years for killing his compatriot, Daniel Hastelow in January 2008. The court in Palma de Mallorca heard how the accused had stabbed the sleeping victim eight times.A second Briton arrested at the time, Paul A. Griffiths, was found not guilty and released without charge.The court and jury considered it proved that after an argument in a bar earlier the aggressor, Richard H Roberts,...

Torremolinos Arco Iris will become the first real estate project in Spain that is aimed at LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) clients

Arco Iris (Rainbow)will become the first real estate project in Spain that is aimed at LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) clients, with an added condition: residents must be over 55 as the development will also take on the role of a care centre.The building will be located in the very heart of Torremolinos, a town that in recent years has become a favourite holdiay resort for homosexuals. This has given rise to the opening of numerous...

Tax hikes announced by Spain’s Socialist government will increase the cost of the average newly-built property by 2,000 Euros

Tax hikes announced by Spain’s Socialist government will increase the cost of the average newly-built property by 2,000 Euros, thanks to an increase in VAT from 7% to 8% on new home sales. The government will hike VAT (known as IVA in Spain) on new home sales in 2010 to try and plug the country’s gaping fiscal hole.In areas like Madrid and Barcelona, where property is more expensive, the cost will go up by an average of 3,000 Euros, according to...