Scottish tourist dies after fight in resort

Police in Benidorm say victim was involved in fight with other British nationals

A Scottish tourist has died after a fight between holidaymakers in Benidorm’s ‘Little England’ area, Spanish police have said.

The incident happened just after 3am yesterday. Officers, who have launched an investigation, said the victim was a 33-year-old Scot who was on holiday in the Costa Blanca resort.

A spokesman for the National Police in Alicante said: “I can confirm a 33-year-old British man has died on the street in Benidorm.

“He was from Scotland and was on holiday in the resort.

“The investigation so far has determined that moments earlier, according to witness testimony, the man participated in a fight with other people who appear to be other British people who were also holidaying in Benidorm.”

A source said an autopsy to determine the cause of death had yet to take place.

It was not immediately clear if any arrests had taken place.

Last month two Brits were arrested after a double stabbing at a bar called Beachcomber in Benidorm.

Both men are believed to be Scottish.

A spokesman for Spain’s National Police said: “We received an emergency call at around 3:15am.

“Police were mobilised and arrived at the scene to find two people trying to assist another who was lying on the ground.

“He was confirmed dead shortly afterwards.”

Specialist officers were called to the scene and cordoned off the area. A spokesman added: “The officers carried out a visual inspection of the scene along with a forensic expert and subsequently the man’s body was removed.

“The National Police investigation is ongoing. No arrests have taken place at this stage.

“What we know at the moment from witnesses is that there had been a fight moments earlier, apparently between British nationals who were on holiday like the dead man who was also a tourist.”

A source added:“an autopsy will be carried out and will hopefully establish why this man died and whether it was the result of a blow or a heart attack or something else.

“In the coming hours police will have more information. The dead man is a 33-year-old Scot who was staying in a hotel in Benidorm.”

The incident happened in a street called Calle Gerona – Gerona Street in English.

Calle Gerona crosses Mallorca Street, the street where a British holidaymaker was among three people shot last July after he was caught up in a gang war between North African drug dealers and criminals from Eastern Europe.

The dead man was staying at a four-star apart-hotel near the scene of the incident. A source said he had only checked in on Thursday and friends who were travelling with him were currently at the police station giving statements.

The apart-hotel declined to comment, saying it had very little information about what had happened.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “Our staff are providing assistance to the family of a British man who has died in Benidorm.”