Mayor demands more resources after two Scots with gang links shot dead in Spain
The mayor of Fuengirola has demanded more resources from Spain's government after a shooting that killed two Scots with links to organised crime.
Eddie Lyons Junior and Ross Monaghan were gunned down outside Monaghans Irish Bar in Fuengirola, south of Malaga, by a masked assailant who fled shortly after 11pm on Saturday.
The pair have been linked with a violent rivalry with the Daniels organised crime group in Scotland that has been going on for more than two decades. Fuengirola Local Government Ana Mula, mayor of Fuengirola, at a meeting with senior officials from the national and local police, and councillor for public safety José Luis Ponce.
On Tuesday, Ana Mula, the mayor of the Spanish town on the Costa del Sol, urged the country's government to provide more resources and help improve the response to growing gang-related drug trafficking conflicts in the area popular with tourists and ex-pats.
During a meeting with senior officials from the national and local police, and councillor for public safety José Luis Ponce, Mula said she was determined to face the issue 'head-on'.
'We live in a world and at a time when crime knows no borders,' she said.
'And in places like the Costa del Sol, we are seeing phenomena that inevitably affect us due to their spread.
'We must lay all potential threats on the table and prepare ourselves to confront this new reality, using our resources to the fullest and with the best possible guarantees. We need far greater involvement from the State in this matter.'
The mayor said she has sent two letters to the Spanish minister of the interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska urging him to build a new national police station, but has yet to receive a response.
'Unfortunately, events have proven us right,' Mula said.
'And now it is necessary to have facilities that match Fuengirola's population level, as well as more police officers, and ones specialised in the types of criminal activity we face in our area.
'I intend to be relentless in pursuing this just demand. It is an absolute priority for our residents and our town.'
The police have not said if the targeted killings of Eddie Lyons Jr and Ross Monaghan are linked to the gang war which has gripped Glasgow and Edinburgh, or if they are connected with drug-related violence in Andalucia.
But there are concerns that the shooting could spark retaliation on Scottish soil.
Last month, Police Scotland made more than 40 arrests linked to ongoing violence in the west and east of Scotland.
The criminal feud ignited after gunmen targeted two homes in Edinburgh within 48 hours. Several homes and businesses have been torched in recent months.
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
17 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Ian Murray clashes with SNP as Chancellor announces winter fuel allowance boost
The Scotland Secretary criticised the SNP during Scottish questions Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The SNP's Economy Spokesperson Dave Doogan has written to the Scottish Secretary Ian Murray urging him to 'find a backbone, join the cabinet revolt, and oppose the Chancellor's cuts'. As many as four ministers are reported to oppose plans being drawn up by Rachel Reeves ahead of the Spending Review, including Yvette Cooper, Ed Miliband and Angela Rayner. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Doogan has written to Mr Murray urging him to join them, only for the minister to defend the Government's record in his opening statement at Scottish questions in Westminster. In a letter seen by The Scotsman, Mr Doogan wrote: 'The raw reality of the damage that more austerity will do to our public services and our society has even stirred some of your cabinet colleagues to stand against the Chancellor's cuts. There are numerous reports that a cabinet revolt is growing against the Chancellor's austerity plans – including opposition from the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. 'As this Cabinet revolt continues, it has not gone unnoticed that your opposition to the Chancellor's austerity is nowhere to be seen – instead you have chosen to remain completely silent. 'Unfortunately, that silence is no longer surprising. Ever since Anas Sarwar infamously told voters to 'read my lips – no austerity under Labour' – Labour figures in Scotland have given their full backing to a Prime Minister and Chancellor who have stripped pensioners of the winter fuel payments, are cutting support to the disabled and who have treated Scotland as afterthought. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You have a clear choice in the coming days – find a backbone, join the cabinet revolt, and oppose the Chancellor's cuts or choose to sit silent and break more election promises to the people of Scotland. If you aren't prepared to stand up to the Chancellor to oppose more austerity cuts, then it is only natural that voters will conclude that they can never trust Scottish Labour to stand up for Scotland.' Speaking in the Commons, Mr Murray issued an apology to MPs for misleading the House, revealing he had actually undersold the amount of money awarded to Scotland. He said: 'This is the first opportunity I've had to apologise to the House for using an inaccurate figure. I had told the House previously that the Scottish Government had received a record settlement of £47.7 billion this year but Treasury figures show the block grant for this year is actually £50 billion. 'That's the highest ever settlement in the history of devolution, with bells on. That's £50 billion, more money for schools, hospitals, policing and housing. It's an end to austerity, that's the Barnett Formula in action, the Barnett Formula that both the SNP and Reform have announced this week they want to scrap.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Responding to Mr Doogan, a Labour source pointed out Mr Doogan was not in the Commons for Scotland questions. They added: 'Did he send a letter because he couldn't be bothered showing up to his work?' The spat came as the UK Government announced more pensioners will receive the winter fuel allowance this winter – but payments will not be universal. Ms Reeves told reporters that 'more people will get winter fuel payment this winter', adding that further details will be announced 'as soon as we possibly can'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers a speech during a visit to Mellor Bus in Rochdale on June 4, 2025, to announce investments in regional transport (Photo: PETER BYRNE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) | POOL/AFP via Getty Images She said: 'People should be in no doubt that the means test will increase and more people will get winter fuel payment this winter.' Asked whether she would tell the public if she planned to fund her commitments by raising taxes or cutting spending on other departments, the Chancellor said: 'As we have been clear, on winter fuel we will set out how we will fund that at the next fiscal event. 'We will set out how everything will be paid for at the budget in the autumn but it's important that everything that we do is funded, because that's how people know that we can afford it.' Downing Street did not deny that details of how the winter fuel payment may be restored to more pensioners could come at next week's spending review. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: 'As the Prime Minister has said, we will only take decisions that are affordable. He has made clear that we want to expand the number of pensioners who are eligible for the winter fuel payment. 'We will set out the details of that in due course. You have got the Chancellor's words from this morning. You have got the PM's words from earlier in the week that we want to set out that detail as soon as possible.' On July 29 last year, the Government announced that from winter 2024, winter fuel payments would be dependent on receiving another means-tested benefit, as part of measures to fill a 'black hole' in the public finances. The decision to means-test the previously universal payment was one of the first announcements by Chancellor Rachel Reeves after Labour's landslide election victory last year, and it has been widely blamed for the party's collapse in support. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It meant the number of pensioners receiving the payment was reduced by around 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million. The Government has insisted the policy was necessary to help stabilise the public finances, allowing the improvements in the economic picture which Sir Keir said could result in the partial reversal of the measure.
Scotsman
17 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Poll reveals majority of Scots have never heard of Scottish Enlightenment or David Hume
Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A majority of Scots have never heard of the Scottish Enlightenment or Scotland's most famous philosopher David Hume, a new poll has revealed. The poll found 56 per cent of respondents did not know of the Enlightenment - the period in 18th and 19th-century Scotland characterised by a flood of intellectual and scientific accomplishments - nor of Mr Hume himself. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A statue of David Hume against the backdrop of Edinburgh's Old Town | Scotsman/Canva The survey, commissioned by the David Hume Institute and carried out by ScotPulse, also found seven in ten (72 per cent) people were interested in history and wanted to learn more. Fewer than one in five respondents thought the past was not relevant to how their lives are lived today, the survey showed. Mr Hume is a historian and economist best known for his highly influential system of empiricism and philosophical scepticism published during the 18th century. But his views on race and his association with the slave trade has sparked criticism in recent years, with the University of Edinburgh removing his name from one of its campus buildings over concerns on the 'distress' caused to students. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A total of 2,194 people aged 16 and over in Scotland were interviewed from February 4-10 for the poll. Susan Murray, director of the David Hume Institute, said: 'This survey poses an interesting question for an institute named in honour of one of Scotland's most famous Enlightenment thinkers. Does knowing about the enlightenment matter to Scots today? And what does it mean to be named after a historical figure that almost half of Scots have not heard of? 'When we began thinking about this, we had more questions than answers, but the survey told us we are not alone in wanting to understand more.' A footnote first published by Mr Hume in 1753, as part of a wider essay on national characteristics, contained the view there were several races of humans, but claimed all were inferior to white Europeans. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, has aimed to investigate Mr Hume's legacy. A conference on the back of the project will be held in Edinburgh today.
Scotsman
17 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Huge ramifications on the line for SNP, Labour and Reform after Hamilton by-election dirty campaign
Huge ramifications are ahead from the fallout of the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When a new MSP is selected for South Lanarkshire tonight, much more will be on the line than simply choosing the newest face to join the ranks at Holyrood. The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, being held due to the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie, will have huge ramifications for Scottish politics and for next year's Scottish Parliament election. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad John Swinney in Hamilton ahead of the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election (Photo by Jeff) | Getty Images Without any local polling, experts and commentators have relied on Scotland-wide opinion forecasting that points to the SNP winning the seat - while Labour face a battle for second place with Nigel Farage's Reform UK. SNP leaving nothing to chance The SNP are taking nothing for granted but on the ground, it feels like this is their seat to lose. One senior SNP source said that they were taking a leaf out of Nicola Sturgeon's book, who would always be 'pessimistic' about elections, despite being incredibly successful at the ballot box. It is clear the SNP is leaving nothing to chance. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad John Swinney's persistent message of framing the election about a choice between the SNP and Reform is a canny one - tabling his party as the only option to stop Mr Farage getting a foothold in Scottish politics. An SNP source stressed that 'we have to win this for Christina', adding that 'she stood for the exact opposite of what Reform do'. 'She would have been so annoyed if we lose her seat to them', the insider added. Christina McKelvie MSP has died at the age of 57 (Picture: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament) | Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament A lot of the focus has been on Labour and Reform - not helped by the misinformation aimed at Anas Sarwar by Mr Farage and his chaotic visit north of the Border earlier this week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Big moment for John Swinney's leadership But for the SNP, a win in today's by-election will be the first real step towards Mr Swinney retaining power at next year's Holyrood election. It could even be a bit of a leap. Things could have been so different. Just 11 months ago, Scottish Labour obliterated the SNP in the Westminster general election that saw Sir Keir Starmer become Prime Minister and Mr Swinney's party whittled down to just nine MPs. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (centre right) and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (centre left) pose for a photograph with the new intake of Scottish Labour MPs outside no 10 Downing Street. But as is so often the case in politics, things have rapidly changed. On the wave of success last summer, Mr Sarwar insisted that the Westminster result was the first of two stages of a Labour victory. But the UK Labour government has managed to upset large swathes of the electorate from day one of power - putting the sequel on the ropes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad UK government causing Labour damage Labour's plummet in the polls has been unprecedented. Chancellor Rachel Reeves instantly painted a gloomy picture of the economy as justification for a flurry of unpopular policies. But Labour's biggest error has been in failing, alongside that context, to instill confidence they can fix the mess and bring about the change that was promised. That lacklustre message from Labour has been an open goal for the SNP. If Katy Loudon, the SNP by-election candidate does become an MSP, it would signal the party finally putting behind it a dismal couple of years - with a laser focus set on retaining power next year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Swinney has been careful not to assume his party will be victorious today, but he has suggested that doing so would be a big move towards him retaining power. For Labour, a defeat could be catastrophic. Anas Sarwar with Scottish Labour candidate Davy Russell ahead of the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election (Photo by Jeff) | Getty Images If this by-election was being held in the context of last year, Mr Sarwar would be on course for a statement victory that would set his sights on the Bute House hot-seat. Instead, the Scottish Labour leader risks staring down a humbling defeat with no obvious strategy to resurrect his plans for power in 11 months' time. From outside the Labour bubble, the obvious place to point the finger would be the UK government. Even yesterday as Mr Sarwar and his candidate, Davy Russell, rallied the troops for the final full day of campaigning, a local walking past the set-piece event in the middle of Hamilton simply shouted 'but what will you do for the Waspi women' in an attack on another promise Sir Keir's government has backtracked on. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A senior Labour source said the media had been 'swept up' by the fuss caused by Mr Farage and Reform and that the significance had been 'completely overblown'. The Reform leader's visit north has probably done Labour a favour, but if Mr Sarwar's party securing second place is spun as a positive result, it will be clear that things are tough. Farage's mischief If Scottish Labour do suffer defeat in today's by-election, particularly if they drop behind Reform, without shaking that legacy of one of the most unpopular UK governments in living memory, Mr Sarwar's chances of becoming the next first minister are toast. Reform probably cannot believe their luck. Mr Farage's party has grabbed headlines and insists it can make waves in today's election. Expectations have been downgraded somewhat, however, with Mr Farage suggesting coming in third place would be a good achievement. And despite the circus his party had brought to the campaign, dirty and nasty in large doses, he is not wrong. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A huge part of the likely fallout from this by-election is yet to be explored in depth - the dismal prospects for Russell Findlay's Scottish Conservatives if they fall significantly behind Reform, as is a real possibility. Nigel Farage speaking in Scotland | Lisa Ferguson Mr Farage's party is not as popular as it is south of the Border, but it is clear that a significant number of Scots, including in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, have been persuaded by his message. This campaign has been all about causing mischief for Reform, but winning a significant number of votes will put Mr Farage's party on course to enter Holyrood next year, most likely through the regional list - a prospect that looked almost impossible just 12 months ago.
