HAPPY NEW YEAR
28 Dec 2017 - 3 Jan 2018
Diver dies A PROFESSIONAL diver has died while working in a cage on a f i s h f a r m o ff t h e coast of Alicante. The Union Confede r a t i o n o f Wo r k e r s Commissions (CCOO) confirmed to Spanish media that the fatal incident had occurred during routine tasks while inside the diver was recovering a tube inside the cage. The incident occurred on a farm located several miles o ff t h e c o a s t o f A l i cante town, Guardamar del Segura. After offering their support to family and friends of the deceased individual, the CCOO went on to tell the media that the incident “once again highlights the deterioration of prevention in the sector and the need to review safety regulations in underwater activities.” It has also been reported that the majority of divers made the decision not to dive the day after the death, in both protest of the accident, and in memory of the deceased individual. Following the incident, the CCOO have now made an appeal to the Spanish association of aquaculture businesses (APROMAR) to follow an agreement signed which aims to improve the safety and health conditions of divers.
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
‘Frightening’
Late night eviction sends expat home Photo credit: Facebook
ISSUE NO. 1695
‘DREAM OVER’: Margo Jenkins has returned home after the incident. By Harrison Jones
EXCLUSIVE A Scottish woman in her 50s says she was left “shaking with fear” after being “illegally” evicted from her El Galan home by a landlord she did not know, at 1.30am. The aggressive late night encounter - which allegedly occurred despite Margo Jenkins paying a month’s rent in advance - left her feeling “afraid and vulnerable” and that her “Spanish dream” was over. According to Mrs Jenkins, 56, her landlord arrived at the rented property unannounced and began rattling the grate, de-
manding that she open the door and leave. Despite living at the Costa Blanca address for a year, she left the apartment and stayed with her sister - who arrived at the property after a phone call. The landlord then gave Mrs Jenkins, a carer, two hours the next day to pack her things and leave - despite the rental contract requiring a month’s notice. She has now returned to Glasgow following the incident, which occurred on Sunday October 15. “This was very frightening and intimidating, also bullying”, Mrs Jenkins said. “(The owner has) shown no remorse, no apology and is blaming the agent as (they) said (they) made it clear (they) wanted me out on October 14.
“I feel upset at the injustice and lack of interest from both agent and landlord.” The agency involved says it will offer to reimburse the advanced rent payment and €700 deposit “as a gesture of goodwill,” but blames the landlord for the incident. They say they had “no control over what the owner did” and will be taking legal action against them. The landlord has not replied to requests for comment. The agency added: “The owner never once told me that (they) were coming in the early hours of the morning and that (they) would be needing to stay in the apartment, nor did (they) say (they) would be asking her to leave at this time.”
Council is parking mad OPPOSITION political parties in Orihuela are to demand a municipal crane service for the town’s beaches. It comes amid claims that the area has become “a lawless territory,” according to one official, where “golf buggies have become the owners of the roads, parking wherever they want.” The socialist PSOE group is up in arms, saying the current service is “practically non-existent,” adding that although
the town hall has a contract with a company to remove illegally parked or abandoned vehicles “in practice the service does not work” on the coast. “There are even places where individuals have set up unofficial private car parks on public land,” said spokesperson Maria Garcia.
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