Evening all...

British police are now on the beat in Magalluf, what will Brits back home think?

Humphrey Carter10/08/2015 00:00

Obviously, the two members of the West Midlands police force have been welcomed to Majorca by the local authorities and the majority of British holidaymakers in Magalluf, judging by their remarks yesterday.

But some of the bar owners doubt their presence will make any difference. They are only on the beat from 7am until 10pm, during which time Punta Ballena is dead, with everyone either on the beach, around the pool or sleeping off the hangover from the night before.

The two-week trial in Majorca and then Ibiza has been funded and planned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office but, while I hope the pilot scheme works and that it sets a precedent for summers to come with British policemen and women being on the Balearic beat all summer, I fear that there may be some cynics in the British media who will jump on the fact that British taxpayers, who perhaps cannot afford a holiday, are paying for British police to come to the sunny Balearics.

They will be walking a fine line, a blue one in fact.

But it is early days, as they only began policing yesterday with the Guardia Civil, which is very experienced with working in co-operation with other forces, and I hope that it works and helps to calm Magalluf down.

The new council already appears to have a firm grip on the resort and the assistance from the British police can surely only help to back that up.