UK tourists tell Spain to 'stick it' over £170 fines for new souvenir rule

Tourists are set to be fined hundreds for buying sunglasses, sarongs and other souvenirs in Spanish hotspots. Local cops are trying to crack down on illegal and unlicensed vendors in popular holiday destinations - with UK tourists in the European Union holiday hotspot warned over fines.

The vendors are known locally as "manteros" and their customers could be hit with a maximum fine of €200 (£170) as a means to dissuade people from using them. The mayor of Torrevieja has called for more police officers during the summer to enforce the new rules.

Responding to the planned crackdown, a Brit said: "Just repeating what lots of others are saying here already, but I find it bizarre that the tourists are the ones being fined for this rather than the sellers. Definitely shows that Spain don’t really care about the problem"

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A second said: "I wish they would do something. I was in Tenerife recently and had four approach in ten minutes while eating dinner in the evening, trying to flog us sunglasses. It was a constant issue all day and evening and although you bat them off, it is something that would make me less likely to return."

A third typed: "I never buy from street sellers, other than markets. The obvious question though is, if unlicensed street sellers are the problem, why are the police not instructed to check for a license rather than target a tourist?"

And another wrote: "This makes no sense. How are tourists supposed to check if a seller is licenced? This demonisation of tourists needs to end. Prosecute the unlicensed sellers, but don't push the punishment onto someone unwillingly buying souvenirs."

"These so called 'vendors' are one of the reasons I loathed Tenerife. In your face all the time. If the authorities don't want you buying from them why don't they stop them selling. You can keep Tenerife. There are so many better places to go with more beautiful beaches and scener," another said.