Holiday horror as rats the size of cats filmed on popular Spanish beach
Locals were left horrified after rats the size of cats were filmed running around a Spanish beach which is popular with British tourists. Onlookers squealed in disbelief as the huge rodents were spotted scurrying along the sand on a beach in Fuengirola, south west of Malaga, earlier this week.
On Tuesday, June 17, a woman shrieked in horror as she filmed the massive vermins darting out from underneath a walkway in the beach resort. Susan, who lives locally, said the rats were not new to the area and claimed they were often seen moving between shops.
She added: "Yes, it's incredible how many there are - and not just on the beach at night, where I see loads of them. During the day, they stroll from shop to shop right in the town centre.
Local Joha was also appalled at the rats brazenness. He said: "And those ones are small - at dawn, some come out that are way bigger. That's nothing compared to the ones I've seen."
This isn't the first rat related beach incident to happen in Spain in recent months. In May holidaymakers were shocked when dozens of dead rats ended up floating in the sea, reports the Mirror.
Following a heavy downpour, the bloated rodents began to bob off a beach in Spain's Costa Blanca. The overburdened local sewage system has been blamed for the disgusting scenes facing beachgoers near Alicante's Coco and Urbanova beaches.
Rats were pictured lying dead on the sand at Urbanova beach, three miles south of Alicante City Centre. Others were filmed floating lifeless in the water. Dead rats were also spotted near the sailing school at Alicante's Real Club de Regatas.
The ugly scenes provoked the anger of an opposition councillor for the popular holiday resort, who worries that mixing tourists and dead rats is not a good idea.
Trini Amoros, deputy spokesperson for Alicante City Council's socialist group, said: 'Alicante cannot allow rats floating off our beaches.'
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A few days later, the sea off another popular Costa del Sol holiday resort turned an alarming brown colour, leaving tourists aghast.
Council officials quickly raised a yellow flag as a warning to sunbathers as the large brown blotch spread across the water.
The bizarre incident occurred around midday yesterday at a stretch of beach in Benalmadena, near two hotels - the Globales Los Patos Park Hotel and Hotel Spa Benalmadena Palace.
A Spanish-speaking tourist watching from a beachfront balcony was seen pointing out the bubbles emerging from the centre of the discoloured water to a companion.
Council chiefs confirmed overnight that yellow warning flags had been raised when the sea started turning brown, attributing the discolouration to a broken water pipe and assuring the public that there was no danger to public health.
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