Diplomatic master stroke

Rowdy British tourists in Magalluf do not get the British a good name in Majorca. In fact, many Majorcans believe that what happens in Magalluf is a British problem, because some British tourists drink to excess and then get themselves into trouble. I have often found myself trying to defend Magalluf against its many critics locally who believe that the British are to blame. I know for a fact that British diplomats have been told by hoteliers that they should urge British tourists in Magalluf to behave while on holiday and local government officials have even said that their bad behaviour was a British educational problem. But last week's photographs of two British police officers on patrol in Magalluf has won praise locally because it showed that the British were prepared to help clean-up the Magalluf mess even putting "boots on the ground." Now, two British police officers will do little to cure Magalluf of its ills but diplomatically speaking they are worth their weight in gold and the British Embassy and the British Consular service should be congratulated. It must be remembered that the two officers from the West Midlands force are part of a wider scheme involving officers from all over Europe and further afield who have been asked by their Spanish counterparts to come to Majorca and help in a liaison role. In fact, the operation involving Italian, French and German police actually got underway last year but Britain did not take part. Two police officers have won Britain plenty of praise locally and showed that Britain is prepared to help in Magalluf.