A British father has sounded the alarm after his son was allegedly attacked while holidaying in Benidorm.
William Miskelly, from Belfast, told the Spanish Eye how his son Ben, 23, was set upon after leaving their hotel to buy some Coca-Cola for his room.
According to the police report, seen by this newspaper, the alleged attack took place at around 11pm on Tuesday, February 10.
William also shared photos of Ben’s injuries, which showed his arms and legs covered in bruises and scratches – although he told this paper ‘his physical scars will heal quicker than the mental ones.’
He said Ben does not drink alcohol and was therefore not intoxicated when he was targeted.
William told the Spanish Eye: ‘The thieves work in a team. One walks up speaking prefect English, saying he is lost and asks for directions to a certain hotel.
‘Once the phone comes out of the pocket and is unlocked, he grabs it from their hand and gets straight into a waiting car. It is well set up in advance.
‘They hacked into his bank accounts… but whoever it was, they have software to hack phones because my son’s phone was up to date with the latest security programmes…
‘Ben has his iPad with him and by the time he got his bank accounts closed down, he had lost £1,650.’
William said Ben wouldn’t leave his hotel room following the ordeal until it was time to fly home a couple of days later.
They reported the crime to the Policia Nacional and Ben took part in an ID parade, but he did not recognise his attackers in the lineup.
‘My son knows he was stupid, but honestly thought he was helping someone, as he had been brought up to do,’ William added.
‘We just want others to be more alert… I can’t see us going back to Spain, nevermind Benidorm.
‘The police just took a statement and wrote a report. Honestly feel that they don’t care.’
William said the incident occurred outside the Dynastic Hotel, where they had been staying.
Ben told police that there were two attackers who drove off in a white Ford Fiesta.
That same car, William told the Spanish Eye, was seen on CCTV heading towards Alicante after the incident.
Fellow travellers reacted to a post by William warning others to say they have also fallen prey to robbers in Benidorm.
One said: ‘My father just returned home from benidorm, he interrupted a robbery in the floor below him.
‘Police came and wouldn’t even look at the apartment because the owners needed to report it, they told him.’
