Legionnaires' Disease: Pensioners Hospitalised After Spain Holiday, Benidorm

 

nine British pensioners have received hospital treatment for Legionnaires' Disease after a stay at Spanish hotel, it has been reported. A 76-year-old man is in an intensive care unit at the Benidorm Clinic, two more are being treated on regular wards while a fourth has already been allowed home. Dr Delfin Arzua from the clinic said: "Four British holidaymakers were admitted with symptoms of pneumonia and tests have confirmed Legionnaires' disease." Five more pensioners were treated in UK hospitals after suffering symptoms when they returned home from Spain. They all fell ill after holidaying at the four-star AR Diamante Beach hotel in Calpe, on the Costa Blanca, local journalist Tom Worden told Sky News. Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia most likely to affect the elderly or ill. People catch the disease by inhaling small droplets of water from the air which contain the bacteria. A spokesman for travel agent Saga said holidaymakers were moved to another nearby hotel after the cases were reported and a British scientist was sent to investigate the suspected outbreak. The scientist found no trace of the bug in the hotel but he did recommend some changes to the plumbing. A spokeswoman for the Alicante health authority said: "Once the alert was raised the entire water and sanitation structure of the hotel was cleaned. "As the incubation period is 10 to 12 days we cannot rule out new cases in the next few days."

Motion of censure will oust the Benidorms Partido Popular Mayor, Manuel Pérez Fenoll.

Partido Popular Mayor claims in an open letter to the people of Benidorm that the motion against him is based on liesThis Tuesday is expected to see the end of 16 years of Partido Popular government in Benidorm, when, saving any last minute surprises, a motion of censure will oust the town’s Partido Popular Mayor, Manuel Pérez Fenoll.It was presented by the 12 Socialist councillors at the Town Hall – who have since resigned from the party – and a ‘turncoat’ PP councillor, José Bañuls, who left the ranks of the Partido Popular in June and is now a non-affiliated councillor. El País reports that he hopes to stand as Iniciativa Benidorm’s candidate for Mayor in the 2011 local elections.The candidate for Mayor on this occasion is Agustín Navarro, who until the mass resignation from PSOE after the motion was presented on 11th September was Socialist spokesman at Benidorm Town Hall. La Verdad newspaper reports that he and his 12 fellow councillors have checked into an undisclosed hotel from this Sunday night, where they will remain until the vote takes place on Tuesday.It’s a strategy which opposition councillors in Marbella, Málaga province, also followed in 2003 in the motion which ousted Julián Muñoz from the local Town Hall and elected Marisol Yagüe in his place.Manuel Pérez Fenoll claimed in an open letter to the people of Benidorm printed in ABC newspaper this Sunday that the motion against him is based on lies, predicting that the 2011 municipal poll will, he said, ‘return everyone to their proper place’.

Benidorm bank robbery opposite the Trafico Guardia Civil barracks

Two French Citizens, both aged 39, have been arrested in connection with an attempted bank robbery. The bank branch is directly opposite the Trafico Guardia Civil barracks in Benidorm, and one of the bank employees managed to attract the attention of Civil Guards who were at the door of their barracks at the time of the robbery.
It happened just before 2pm in Avenida Beniardà, when the two now in custody entered the bank armed with a pistol and demanding the safe be opened. When the Guardia Civil crossed the street the two men tried to run off and a car chase ensued with the arrest of one of the robbers and the second was detained later in El Campello as he was packing to leave his home.The two, who had fake beards and moustaches, had also planned another robbery in Valencia.

65 year old man was arrested in Benidorm over the death of his 53 year old wife, who fell from a 12th floor balcony

65 year old man was arrested in Benidorm over the death of his 53 year old wife, who fell from a 12th floor balcony at their home in the Cénit building on the calle La Pipa . It seems that the victim had denounced her partner for domestic violence on a number of previous occasions, but had never applied for a restraining order which meant they still lived together. Autopsy results confirm that the woman died in the fall, but it was impossible to establish if she had been pushed off the balcony.
A neighbour explained that the couple had moved to Benidorm from San Sebastián around a year ago, and confirmed that they quarrelled often, that both were heavy drinkers, and that the victim "had seemed very depressed recently."
She also confirmed that the pair had quarelled on Sunday evening and that the police had been called to their home. When asked why the victim had never applied for a restraining order, her neighbour explained that it was impossible because she could not afford the flat on her own.

British couple remanded in Benidorm

The accident occurred last Friday night on the CV-763 (km 3,4). The couple were driving back to their home on the San Rafael residential estate while the young motorcyclist was heading towards Alfàs del Pi. The victim, who was still alive as he was dragged for 2-3km underneath the British couple's car, died before emergency medics could get him into the ambulance. His family and friends, who say the boy's parents are "totally destroyed and unable to come to terms with what has happened,"


British couple in their fifties were remanded in jail by a judge in Benidorm yesterday charged with imprudent homicide. They were arrested last Monday after being spotted dragging a badly-injured motorcyclist they had knocked down after a previous accident by licence plate recognition cameras on the outskirts of La Nucia (Aliante). During yesterday's hearing, the man, who was driving, broke down and admitted being aware not only that he had hit something or someone and that, following the impact, he was aware that something or someone had got stuck under his vehicle. In his defence, the man claimed that he thought he had hit a stray dog and said that he failed to stop and investigate because he suffered a panic attack.
The degree of responsibility that should be attributed to the man's wife, who also admits being aware of the impact, remains to be determined.

Violent attack in Benidorm ends in death

The suspect is a 42 year old Moroccan man and reports in Diario Sur say that several victims of theft have recognised the attacker in police identification parades.
One of the alleged attacks from the 42 year old Moroccan led to the accidental death of a 77 year old German pensioner
A 77 year old German pensioner, named with the initials J.G., has died from a blow he received during a violent robbery attempt in Torre del Mar on March 18. His body was found in the doorway of his house in Edificio Faro II.
The attack happened as he returned home late after fishing, and the National Police say they have arrested a suspect who they consider has carried out a series of similar violent attacks in Vélez-Málaga which have been seen in the area after ten at night.

William McFarlane with four other Englishmen arrested in Benidorm

five men arrested in a swoop on drugs and illegal gambling in Spain yesterday. William McFarlane, 56, from Glasgow, was taken into custody along with four Englishmen when police targeted a suspected drugs distribution and gambling den in the centre of Benidorm. Officers recovered £77,000 as well as a quantity of illicit drugs, prescription drugs and cigarettes.

Julie Mollart

Julie Mollart, fell from 14th floor balcony of the Hotel Flamingo in Benidorm on Christmas Day in what police are treating as an accident . She died the next day.
The mum-of-one was on holiday with her partner and family. Friends are preparing to take her body back to Burslem, in Staffordshire.
She had booked the holiday to get over the recent death of her father.