A young man has been found dead next to rubbish bins in a popular coastal enclave in Cadiz.

The Guardia Civil has launched an investigation into the ‘strange circumstances’ surrounding the death, which has rocked the local community.

The body was discovered on Camino de Guerrero in El Palmar, the beachside settlement belonging to Vejer de la Frontera that is hugely popular with tourists and has a significant international community.

A passer-by who came across the body raised the alarm, according to regional newspaper La Voz del Sur.

Several Guardia Civil patrols and medical personnel rushed to the scene, while traffic in the area was shut off to allow emergency services and investigators to work.

The circumstances surrounding the young man’s death remain unclear.

Judicial Police officers from the Guardia Civil’s Cadiz Command have taken charge of the investigation.

However, details are likely to remain scarce for the time being after the case was placed before a court in Barbate, which ordered the investigation to be kept secret.

The secreto de sumario means further information about the circumstances of the death and the investigative steps being carried out cannot currently be made public.

Unverified claims circulating on social media that the victim had been decapitated have not been confirmed by the Guardia Civil or any other official source.

‘Strange circumstances’

The Partido Popular party in Vejer said the death had caused shock and concern locally, describing it as the death of a young man in ‘strange circumstances’ in El Palmar.

The party expressed its ‘deepest condolences’ to the man’s relatives, friends and loved ones and called for investigators to be given all the resources necessary to establish what happened.

It also called for security in the area to be strengthened.

‘We consider it essential to reinforce security in our area and guarantee all the necessary resources to clarify what happened,’ the local party said.

It added that it fully supported the ongoing investigation and the work of Spain’s security forces.

El Palmar is one of the best-known beach destinations on the Cadiz coast, particularly popular during the summer months for its long Atlantic beach and surfing scene.

It forms part of the municipality of Vejer de la Frontera, which also has a sizeable international population.

For now, authorities have not publicly revealed the young man’s identity, nationality, age or suspected cause of death.

The Guardia Civil investigation continues.