Police abuse claim by Brit

A young Englishman is still in hospital after suffering a fractured vertebra in what he claims is a case of “police abuse.” He has been named as Jonathan Charles, aged 21, who arrived on the island on August 3 from Manchester, with three friends. He told reporters that they were staying at a hotel in Magalluf and decided to go out for a drink in the notorious Punta Ballena area. He went on to say he got separated from his friends but continued the round of bars and got in a fight with a group of Spaniards. A Calvia police patrol arrived and he was handcuffed. He then claims that he was hit with a police truncheon, in a place where there were no witnesses, and was released. He finally found his way back to his hotel and went to bed. When he got up, he was in great pain and a doctor was called. X-rays showed that he had a fractured vertebra and he was admitted to hospital on August 4. He described his experience in a letter which his friends delivered to the Guardia Civil who have since visited him in hospital to take a statement. The Local Police of Calvia have declined to comment and no official statement has been released.