Holiday warning for Brit tourists ‘risking health with beach drinks’ as Europe swelters in Charon heatwave
BRITISH tourists in Benidorm have been warned they are “risking their health with beach drinks” as a heatwave scorches Southern Europe.
Local politicians from the sunny party city have alerted holidaymakers of unauthorised vendors selling cocktails by the sea.
Dubbed “mojiteros”, the sellers tend to handle the products with their hands in the trunk of a car or on the ground itself, with little to no sanitary control, according to Cristina Escoda, a socialist spokesperson.
In 2019, Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that scientists had even found that some of the drinks contained E-coli bacteria and traces of human faeces which could cause serious illness and even death.
They are half the price of drinks sold at beach-front bars but tourists risk falling ill by drinking the cocktails.
Police surveillance on the popular beaches have ramped up following the return of the vendors with the PSOE party claiming the areas are one again “infested” by illegal activities such as untrained masseurs and people who sell drinks, particularly “dirty” mojitos.
Escoda told a Spanish local news outlet that the presence of these vendor’s on Benidorm’s beaches has “increased” since the beginning of summer.
“Taking a simple walk, you can see an incessant trickle of people carrying out these illegal activities with total normality,” she said.
“This not only affects the image we offer to tourists but also seriously harms the city’s hospitality sector.”
And she warned: “It can put the health of consumers at risk”.
Escoda called on the People’s Party government team to act urgently and implement measures to tackle the growing problem.
She said: “We know that it is complicated but part of the solution must involve both increasing the police presence and reinforcing the information and awareness campaigns for residents and tourists.”
Last month holiday advice was also issued to tourists about buying drinks from the Spanish sellers as they could face a massive fine if cops catch them buying the dodgy street liquor.
Benidorm city council says it has already reinforced police measures on the city’s sandbanks during the summer period, significantly increasing the number of troops assigned to the surveillance of the beaches.
“In the busiest hours, there are 16 officers,” said a spokesperson.
“It is carried out not only on the beach and on the promenades but also from the water and from the air thanks to the zodiac and drone service.”
This comes as Spain’s Met Office issued a red alert, warning of “extreme risk” to health to those holidaying in Majorca as the Charon heatwave continues to hit.
The Spanish party island, just an hour away from Benidorm by plane, is expecting temperatures of up to 43C today – the hottest day of the year so far.
Experts urged tourists and locals to stay hydrated, remain in the shade and avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine as the mercury rises in countries including Spain, Italy, France, Croatia and Greece.
Weather experts have declared 2023 an El Niño year – a natural phenomenon that occurs cyclically and causes fluctuations in the global climate.
The extreme weather has already caused the death of at least three people in Italy as eight red alert warnings have come into force across the country.