Serial mugger caught

TERRIFIED women in the northern Marina Alta have been attacked in the street by the same man in a motorbike helmet, punching them in the face and threatening them with knives until they handed over their cash and personal effects.

But they can rest a little more easily now, as their assailant has been arrested in his home town of Oliva (La Safor), remanded in custody and denied bail.

The accused, 42, approached at least four different women in Beniarbeig, Pego and Pedreguer in broad daylight during the last week of September, leaving them with very visible injuries – often for the sake of just a few euros in their purses.

His victims were all females unaccompanied by men.

Guardia Civil officers in El Verger very quickly identified the offender, who is Spanish, even though his face was always covered during the assaults.

He was arrested in Oliva within days. CIVIL Protection volunteers have clocked up almost 5,000 hours of forest surveillance in Jávea guarding against any outbreak of fire.

The 40-strong group mounted a daily watch through the summer season from June until they stood down last week, with two teams of four occupying the Granadella watchtower and a viewpoint on Cap de San Antoni on morning and afternoon shifts, and a third team used on days of particularly high risk of a wildfire.

Civil Protection was also involved with fire fighting and with local police deployed a system of sprinklers to protect homes when a blaze broke out in the Rafalet area and as a first response service were able to extinguish a number of smaller fires.

And the team also tackled four house fires, a car and boat fire, and a rubbish container fire.

The volunteers were also busy during severe storms clearing roads and signing diversions, as well as attending road traffic accidents.

Councillor for security Pepa Gisbert congratulated the team for its efforts over the summer and highlighted the important role of the group, not only in fire surveillance but also for its 'rapid response in any emergency'.

She said Civil Protection was always one of the first to arrive at any fire or accident.