The Government has implemented a campaign of enforcing sanctions on bars and pubs in the Old Town of Benidorm. Regional Police are demanding that establishments are adhering strictly to official closing times and imposing fines on some premises. According to Town Hall sources, last weekend alone over 2000 euros was collected in one night  - and penalties can accumulate up to 30,000 euros for "repeat offenders".

Officially, bars are required to close at 1.30am and pubs at 3.30am.... but Benidorm is Benidorm. There has  always been a very flexible approach by the authorities and police, but it seems not anymore - their hand is being forced by the Government.

Local business owners are dismayed at this approach arguing that historically there have never been any problems in the Old Town, unlike other areas of Benidorm where bars are open until well past the stipulated hours and constantly have altercations. For those that have been to Benidorm you will know that this reference is to the English Square, which has a somewhat unsavory reputation in the early hours - my advice is keep away.

The industry has turned to the Town Hall for help on the matter. A number of entrepreneurs from the Old Town met with the Mayor Agustin Navarro to convey their concern at the high level of sanctions being imposed - many have said that this will be the final nail in the coffin. The only industry in Benidorm is tourism and if they continue in this vein then many businesses will close adding even further to the unemployment figures - the Old Town will become a ghost town!

 Members of ALGBT (Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual) have reported that the police appear to be targeting establishments displaying the rainbow emblem but ignoring others and allowing them to stay open past the stipulated hours. All bars playing music have noise limiters that cut in if the noise goes over a certain level, for which they need to pay to obtain a license. Bar owners don´t know what to expect now and are fearful of how it will affect business, especially as the season has just begun.

I have spoken to a bar owner in the Old Town and he explained that the Autonomous police descended last weekend, unannounced and demanded to see papers and licenses of various establishments. However, one bar which had in the region of 80 people milling outside drinking in the early hours were not asked for papers - is this a case of the autonomous police being homophobic? By all accounts the Valencian Government can overturn this legislation at local level - a meeting between local business owners and the Mayor is scheduled for Tuesday to see how to tackle this issue.

The Mayor is willing to take action but said he has to finely balance the need of local residents as well as that of local businesses. He was quoted yesterday "It is necessary to search through local and regional administration, employers and residents a solution that would combine economic activity in crisis and the well being of residents". Together with the Councillors for Tourism Juan Angel Ferrer and Security, Conrad Hernandez they have requested a meeting with the delegate in Alicante Juan de Dios Navarro to address this problem.

My view on the matter is "if it ain´t broken don´t fix it" ....

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