Barcelona police hand out ‘robbery kits’ with emergency clothes inside to swimmers who are robbed on the beach
- Police in Barcelona have handed out 174 kits since summer season started in May
- Kit includes T-shirt with the city log on, pair of shorts, flip flops and a Metro card
- Guàrdia Urbana have distributed several beaches including busy La Barceloneta
Police in Barcelona have handed out almost 200 emergency kits to swimmers who have returned to their spot on the beach and discovered their belongings missing.
Included in the useful set is everything a person could need to get home including a T-shirt with the city’s logo on, a pair of shorts, flip flops and a metro ticket.
Since the summer season started on May 27 the city’s Guàrdia Urbana have helped 174 bathers and sunseekers with the kits, reports the Guardian.
Police in Barcelona have handed out 174 emergency clothing kits, pictured, since May to swimmers who find their belongings missing when they return to the beach
Some have been distributed on nudist beaches Sant Sebastià and Mar Bella and also on the busiest beach La Barceloneta.
This is the third year that police in the Spanish city have had the ‘robbery kits’ and each year they have ended up giving out more.
La Barceloneta is the most popular spot in Barcelona and by the end of last week 853 thefts had been reported.
To try and tackle the crime problem officers in uniform and plainclothes have been patrolling all 10 beaches in the area over the busy summer season.
As well as thieves, many people try to sell water, beer and items such as sunglasses on the beaches.
In 2019 police have brought more than 9,000 charges for selling refreshments on the beach without a licence.
Officers patrol Barcelona’s beaches, pictured, during the busy summer season including the most popular La Barceloneta. By the end of last week 853 thefts had been reported there
Last month a brawl involving British tourists broke out on La Barceloneta beach with one person attacking a rival with a metal pole before the fight was broken up.
Other sunbathers were filmed picking up their belongings and running for safety as the men traded punches.
La Barceloneta has been at the centre of tension for years between holidaymakers and locals who say their area has been destroyed.
Last year Spanish police handed tourists at Barcelona Sagrada Familia leaflets saying they could not guarantee their safety as they did not ‘have enough personnel.’
The warning had been translated into seven languages including English, French and Italian and came after figures showed the number of petty theft incidents for the first eight months of 2018 totalled 86,834 – a rise of 19 per cent on the previous year.