Official unveiling yesterday attended by Consul Paul Rodwell

After three years of planning, the Mayor of Benidorm, Agustin Navarro and Paula Sanchez de Leon, representing the Ministry of Interior singed the agreement to operate the new Foreign Tourist Assistance Service facility in Benidorm.

The office is located on the first floor of the  El Torrejo Tourist Information office in the Old Town - walk to the very end of Levante beach and it´s virtually right in front of you. As you enter the building, directly to your right are stairs that will take you up to the first floor - there is a lift available for those with mobility problems. The reason why it is on the first floor as opposed to the ground floor is to give more privacy - the ground floor is all open plan and where the tourist information point is, with numerous people going in and out. It´s a shame that it is so far away really - ideally it was needed in the Rincon, where we suggested last year, incorporated with the Tourist Information office in front of Morgans Tavern - but it´s a start!

Plaque on front of building

 "SATE" - "Servicio de Atención al Turista Extranjero" will operate from Saturday 1st June until the end of September and cover the busy tourist season. Next year - 2014, it will be open from the start of the Easter holiday period. The office will be manned by three National Police officers with interpreters, who in addition to English will be able to translate into French, German, Dutch, Italian, Finnish and Russian.

Unfortunately, and probably expected it is not a 24 hour service - the opening times are Monday to Friday 9.00am until 9.00pm and Saturday/Sunday 10.00am until 2.00pm... however, it is out of these hours that the service is really required - muggers don´t tend to operate in business hours! Perhaps once it is up and running they may review this...

The Foreign Tourist Assistance Service is a police department whose role is to offer foreign tourists visiting the resort assistance, if in the unfortunate situation they become a victim of crime.
They will be able to offer help with the following:

- Assistance in reporting a crime
- Making a denuncia
- Cancelling Credit Cards and other documents
- Contacting the Consulate
- Contacting family members
- Assistance locating lost property
- Psychological help if required

Benidorm becomes the third largest city in Spain, after Madrid and Malaga to have a "SATE" office - highlighting the importance of the resort to the economy.

British Consul Paul Rodwell attended the official inauguration yesterday and addressed the delegates and issued the following statement "We have been working closely with Benidorm town hall on this initiative and I am delighted that British tourists who visit Benidorm will now have better support from the Spanish authorities if they are a victim of crime. The fact that the victims can receive support in English is an important step forward and we shall continue to work closely with the National Police to ensure that the assistance British victims receive is appropriate to their needs and situation"

It is certainly a step in the right direction, with coordination between the National Police and authorities in Benidorm.

Yesterdays "altercation" at the Indoor Market

I just wish that they would now sort out the local police. Unfortunately during a fundraising event in aid of MS which I attended yesterday the police came and closed it down at 4pm, an hour before the finish!  The reasoning given was "siesta time" and the performers, which had all turned out in force to support the event were told they were too loud! I took some photos of the altercation and was nearly arrested myself with the officer demanding to see the pictures and deleting them off my camera! Considering that it was for a charity - and for the Spanish branch of the organisation and not for profit I though it was poorly misjudged of them... I just hope that they never have a family member that is stricken by this dreadful disease!

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