‘Locked in’ tourists stampede for sunbeds

FORCED to wait behind locked doors until 9am, a crowd of tourists make a dash to their hotel pool after resort bosses finally let them out.

Holidaymakers were kept like ‘caged animals’ at the four-star Best Hotel in Playa De Las Americas in Tenerife to prevent them bagging sun-loungers too early.

But the doors simply proved a pressure point – and once they were open there were injuries and threats as up to 300 tourists stampeded for the best spot. A heavily pregnant woman, a wheelchair-bound man and children were hit or pushed over in the melee. Julie Higson, 37, a teaching assistant from Worthing, West Sussex, said tourists were like ‘caged animals waiting to get out’.

The hotel denied staff blocked fire escapes with bins and chairs to stop alternative exits. It said its policy stopped sunbed grabbing and kept the pool area clear during cleaning.