Costa Blanca Brits Fined in Lockdown Checks

AROUND 200 people, including an unspecified number of British nationals, have been fined in the Orihuela and Torrevieja areas for not obeying the rules of the State of Emergency lockdown.

The tough rules came into force on Monday, and Torrevieja´s local police, along with the Guardia Civil and National Police,  have so far handed out a hundred fines to people who could not prove that they had a good enough reason to be out of their homes

Most of the law breaking in Torrevieja is said by the council to involve non-Spaniards, including some British residents.

In one incident, a UK couple were fined for riding their bicycles through the city and used a supermarket trip as an excuse to police officers.

The law plainly states, that with some exceptions, no more than one person can leave home to carry out emergency business.

Pedestrians and motorists from central and eastern Europe were also scooped up by patrols on Torrevieja´s Paseo de la Liberdad and Calle Ramón Gallud.

Torrevieja´s citizen safety councillor, Federico Alarcón, emphasised that residents cannot walk outside freely unless they have a good reason to do so.

In the Orihuela municipality, 71 people were collared yesterday(Tuesday) by the Orihuela local police after flouting the emergency law.

48 motorists also found their journeys to be somewhat expensive after being hit with a fine for being out on the road without due cause.