The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Police investigate hotel drama
Cypriot authorities dispute Scottish holidaymakers’ abduction claims
Police in Cyprus have dismissed claims of an abduction attempt on British children despite facing allegations of a cover-up.
Officers probing an incident at Anastasia Beach Hotel in Protaras on Tuesday have concluded their initial investigations, released a suspect and said they believe witnesses were mistaken.
A group of visitors to the island – a number from the Dundee area – said they had seen a gang take pictures of youngsters over a number of days before attempting to steal three children.
One woman contacted The Courier to say: “My family just returned from this hotel last night and were present when the attempted abduction took place.
“The abductors had been taking pictures of the children all week – unknown to the parents – and my family were terrified.
“I am absolutely disgusted that people are trying to cover this up.”
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said consular officers had “provided advice and support” to a family following a concerning incident.
And holiday operator Thomas Cook said it had helped 16 families move to alternative accommodation and flown two home in the wake of the allegations, though it continues to offer holidays to the Anastasia Beach Hotel in Protaras and Cyprus.
A spokeswoman for Cyprus Police, however, said any reports of an attempted abduction were incorrect.
“Officers arrested a 19-year-old man from Bulgaria who holidaymakers said had been filming their children and was trying to abduct them,” she said.
“We questioned the suspect, went through his phone and searched his home but found no evidence that he was part of a child abducting gang or that he was stalking children.”
The man has been released while investigations continue.