Muggers prey on Brits at Europe’s cheapest resort

Criminals target tourists in Sunny Beach holiday hotspot

PROSTITUTES, muggers and pickpockets are preying on Brits at one of Europe’s cheapest holiday spots.

Hundreds of thousands of UK tourists travel to Sunny Beach resort in Bulgaria, where beer is as little as £1 a pint.

The Black Sea destination is the least expensive of 18 resorts in Europe surveyed for this year’s Post Office’s Holiday Costs Barometer.

But the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have warned that the resort is attracting criminals from across eastern Europe, including Russia and Ukraine.

The FCO said: “Tourists are targeted by thieves and pickpockets in Sunny Beach. There has been an increase in burglaries from hotel rooms.”

The office said that vice girls and strip club bosses were targeting visitors.

A spokesman continued: “Prostitution is not illegal in Bulgaria, however we have received numerous reports of pickpocketing, muggings and assaults of British nationals by prostitutes and their minders. Some tourists have been victims of overcharging in strip clubs.

“Victims have been threatened with violence if they don’t pay.”

Tourists hiring cars are also falling victim to scams, amid reports of tyres being deliberately punctured.

The FCO added: “While investigating the puncture, someone distracts the driver, and belongings and documents are stolen from the vehicle.”

A spokesman for Bulgaria’s Ministry of the Interior said additional resources had been allocated to train officers in tourist resorts.

A total of 328,696 Brits visited Bulgaria last year, compared with 164,700 in 2015.

It’s unlikely to put off those who flock to Sunny Beach for fun in the sun – at prices last seen here in the 90s.

The Holiday Costs Barometer, which looks at tourist staples such as meals, drinks and sun cream, found they cost just over £37 in Sunny Beach, compared with £58 in the Algarve and £131 in Ibiza, Europe’s priciest resort.

The FCO issued common sense advice to everyone going there on holiday. It said: “Don’t take valuables to the beach and be wary of poorly lit roads around the resort at night.

“There has been an increase in burglaries from hotel rooms. Make sure you lock your room, including windows and balcony doors, and keep your valuables locked in a safe.

“Don’t change money on the streets, only at licensed exchange points, banks or hotels.”