News from the Costa del Sol, Andalucia, Southern Spain

News from Andalucia & Costa del Sol

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Fewer seats at Nerja Caves Festival

Tickets now on sale for the famous concert and dance series

By Dave Jamieson

TICKETS are now on sale for this year’s 54th Festival of Music and Dance to be staged inside Nerja’s famous caves complex at Maro from July 24 to 27. However, there will be fewer seats than usual available for each night, following a decision announced last week by the foundation which manages the tourist attraction.

The general manager of the foundation, Ángel Ruiz, said that the stands erected in the 1970s to create extra seating capacity are to be closed immediately, and will be dismantled later. The move will reduce the capacity of the auditorium from 800 to 500 seats.

Not a banner year: Costa beaches lose six blue flags

Marina’s fare better, with one more flag than last year

By Oliver McIntyre

JUST 20 beaches in Málaga province will fly the quality-conferring blue flag this summer, six less than last year, stripping the province of its top position in Andalucía for number of blue flag beaches. Not since 2007 have fewer beaches in the province flown the flags.

The blue flags, awarded by the Foundation for Environment Education (FEE), were announced last week by its Spanish affiliate, Adeac.

Signatures collected to demand launch of hospital

Guadalhorce hospital was finished more than a year ago but still has not opened

By Oliver McIntyre

AN action group fighting for the launch of the Guadalhorce hospital, which remains closed more than a year after construction was completed, has launched a signature-gathering campaign to demand the opening of the hospital.

The group – made up of political parties, local town halls and a variety of other collectives – met last week to strategise on ways to pressure the Junta de Andalucía to launch the hospital.

Special police units on summer house break-ins alert

National Police add 50 officers to patrol Marbella and Estepona

By David Eade

BREAK-INS and robberies of homes during the peak summer month of August are one of the most frequent serious crimes which cause widespread social alarm. This year the Dirección General of the National Police has decided to take action by reinforcing the number of officers by 50 specifically to meet this threat.

The news has been announced by Daniel Salgado at the Marbella Comisaría. He said the officers will be drawn from the specialist Unidad de Intervención Policial, who are trained to deal with such crimes.

720 NIGHTMARE

British ‘victim’ of asset declaration faces five-figure tax bill on UK home sale

By Samantha Kett

GOVERNMENT claims that the asset declaration is 'not a form of taxation' were shattered this week when CDSN was informed of the case of an expat who faces a tax bill of €30,000 for the sale of his UK home which he declared on the now-infamous form 720.

Barry had bought the property in 1997 with his late wife Judith and sold it in January this year, having moved to Spain in 2009.

Now he has been told by his accountant that he will have to pay a five-figure capital gains tax bill at the end of the year.

Missing Amy’s brother stabbed to death

DEAN Fitzpatrick, the brother of Amy, the Irish girl who disappeared in Mijas in 2008 and has never been found, was stabbed to death in Dublin last Saturday night.

According to reports in the Irish Independent, Dean’s stepfather Dave Mahon turned himself in and was arrested and questioned before being released without charges after the legal 24-hour holding period, though Garda officials confirmed only that they had arrested, questioned and released a 42-year-old suspect.

Granada murder suspect commits suicide

The man, a local police officer, was found hanged with is belt in his cell