12 August 2023 , 09:40
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British holidaymakers have been warned they face increased fines in Barcelona if they are caught drinking in the street as part of a crackdown on uncivil behaviour.
City hall chiefs have raised the fine for street boozing to a maximum of £520. The sanction for going to the toilet where you shouldn’t has jumped from £170 to £260. The fines for graffitiing public buildings has also gone up - from £260 to £430.
The new penalties came into force yesterday following a council announcement a fortnight ago. Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor for Security Albert Battle said fines were being increased to stamp out the sensation of “impunity.” He added: “Our priority is to bring order to everything that happens in public spaces.
“Following the Covid pandemic public spaces are being used more intensively and this has had consequences we need to deal with. The objectives of our maintenance plans revolve around guaranteeing civility in the city by increasing the financial sanctions for uncivil practices.”
Crowds pouring into the street in Barcelona (SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)Barcelona brought its new fines regime into force as another Spanish council warned it would hit locals and holidaymakers in their pocket if they bought items off unlicensed street sellers. Town hall chiefs in Torrevieja south of Alicante on the Costa Blanca announced an information campaign about its fines of£172 for people purchasing goods from so-called ‘looky looky’ men.
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A spokesman said it was felt important issues relating to demand as well as supply should be targeted. He added: “Part of this campaign is about informing citizens, and especially tourists, who may not be aware of the fines.”
In June, it was revealed that there is a little-known ruled which requires tourists to cough up £93 each day when on the Spanish mainland or its surrounding islands. Spanish officials have been asking visitors to prove you have a return or onward ticket and pre-booked accommodation.
This can be a hotel booking confirmation, or proof of address if you're visiting friends or staying in your own property. Officials also carry out spot checks where you will be asked to prove you have sufficient financial means for the duration of your trip.
It's unlikely but it could happen, Birmingham Live reports. Spain defines ‘sufficient financial means’ as access to €109 (£93) per person per day - so for a family of five they need to show they have €545 per day or €7,630 for a two-week holiday in Spain.
Manuel Butler, the Spanish Tourist Office director (UK), previously said: “The requirement for UK travellers to be able to illustrate sufficient means for the duration of their stay and the return is established in the Schengen Borders Code and is not a Spain-specific requirement.”