Locals blast UK tourist hotspot as 'Gangster's Paradise' after fourth shooting in just months
Residents have taken to social media to complain about the violence seen on the Spanish coast
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A tourist hotspot frequented by British holidaymakers has been labelled as “Gangster’s Paradise” after it witnessed its fourth shooting in just 30 days.
Marbella, which often ranks highly among Britons looking to enjoy the Spanish sun, faced another shooting in Puerto Banus over the weekend.
The situation is leading to more concern about whether more is yet to come in the summer.
Residents have taken to social media to complain about the violence seen on the Spanish coast.
Marbella is a popular tourist hotspot for Britons hoping to make the most of the Iberian sunshine
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One wrote: “Marbella is finished… Best European destination for 2024 everyone.”
Another said: “What the f**k! It’s time to do something… the wild wild west is going to f**k over business in Marbella.”
Other users suggested Marbella had become a “Gangster’s Paradise”, as fourth compared the situation to video game Grand Theft Auto.
According to Olive Press, the shooting took place at around 1.30am (local time) on Saturday after a gunman opened fire in the direction of a shisha bar.
A 20-year-old man was left injured at the bar near the entrance of the upmarket port.
More than a dozen gunshots were heard in footage from the scene.
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The local police have been called for a number of incidents
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A man was also seen running for his life as witnesses were left screaming.
The incident came just days after two men on a Honda motorbike opened fire from a roundabout in Puerto Banus on March 11.
A man was also left injured after a shooting in Nueva Andalucia on February 10.
A separate incident followed two days later but nobody was injured as the assailants quickly fled the scene in a car.
Spaniards have become increasingly concerned about a number of issues facing tourist hotspots.
Marbella is a very popular tourist hotspot for British holidaymakers
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There have been growing calls for British holidaymakers to steer clear of Spain amid concern about rental prices, noise pollution and increased littering.
Alcohol consumption has been identified as an issue, with Malaga’s Mayor adding: “We’ve taken bold steps to crack down on what can only be described as the ‘aggressive’ sale of alcohol.
“What I mean by that is happy hours, the sale of cheap alcohol, the two or three-for-ones, the sale of alcohol by supermarkets during the hours of 9.30pm to 8am, the degradation of women with wild party games in the large pubs.
“We’ve banned pub crawls and the advertising of party boats, which are no longer allowed to sell alcohol on board.”