ISSUE NO. 1677
24 - 30 August 2017
N AT U R I S T s u n - w o r shippers are set to bathe in bliss after a Maro nudist beach became the first of its kind in Spain to receive an international environmental management award. The Cantarrijan sandy strip in the MaroCerro Gordo Natural Park is also among the first 10 beaches in Andalucia to be handed the ISO 14001 certification. It comes after months of planning by Almuñecar Council and a specialised advisory team. During a ceremony at which a special flag was raised to mark the achievement, Almuñecar ’s Environment and B e a c h e s c o u n c i l l o r, Luis Aragon, explained how the lengthy project culminated in an external audit which confirmed the gong. Beachgoers will now find signage including a guide to proper environmental practice, plus new bins including a recycling point in the car park, while municipal staff have received special training in respect of cleaning the beach and how to deal with ecological accidents and emergencies.
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Expat home demolished Photo credit Marco40134/Flickr
Winning streak revealed
NAKED BEAUTY: Cantarrijan beach.
A XARQUÍA - C OSTA T ROPICAL
Hammer blow By Matt Ford A furious British couple whose rural home in Almayate is being torn down may take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. As first reported in the Euro Weekly News (Issue 1673), Gill and Bob Ward have been fighting the demolition of the 50 square metre property with the help of the Save Our Homes Axarquia (SOHA) campaign group. They were not present as the bulldozing began last M o n d a y, t h e i r d a u g h t e r Emma saying that “they are in a bad state psychologically and preferred not to come,” after being refused entry to collect the last of their personal belongings. “The Local Police refused to let me in,” she told reporters, before confirming that the family “will continue to fight this unjustice and make the case more well-known. “ We w i l l n o w c o n t a c t the British Consulate in Spain to see what kind of help they can offer us, and if the Spanish justice system ignores us we will go to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.”
ILLEGAL: The Wards’ former home. The pair bought the building, part of an old farmhouse, in 2004 and began renovating it in 2006 but the original façade collapsed during t h e m a k e o v e r, r e n d e r i n g the work illegal according to Velez-Malaga Council. Believing their new home to be licensed, the Wards received no advice from the town hall until 2013, when Gill received a court summons and pleaded guilty on the advice of her solicitor, subsequently
paying a €1,000 fine and in 2015 applying for legalisation. The demolition comes after the family and SOHA submitted a number of appeals to the council in re-
cent weeks, and leaves them homeless. They are currently stayi n g a t a f r i e n d ’s h o m e i n Torre del Mar while they seek an affordable rental property.
Catch me if you can AN 18-year-old pickpocket who targeted bathers has been held in Torre del Mar after trying to escape on a bicycle. Investigators seized four mobile phones, six key rings including car keys, two pairs of designer sunglasses, a pair of high-end headphones, various items of clothing and €32 in cash from the thief’s rucksack. The robberies took place on Poniente beach, with a Local Police patrol mounting a search after one of the victims placed a call. Having spotted the suspect from afar due to him matching a witness description, the officers were able to track him with the help of a lifeguard as he pedalled towards Nerja. But as they approached the looter fled in the opposite direction, leading one to chase him on foot, eventually grabbing him after he was held up by a group of pedestrians.