THREE Denia beaches were closed for swimming on Tuesday after fecal contamination was discovered in the water.

Red flags have been hoisted at Les Marines, Punta del Raset, and Els Molins.

Denia council received a report from the Environment Ministry’s Bathing Water Quality Service that samples taken on Monday revealed contamination levels above the permitted limit.

READ MORE:

They were said to have ‘abnormally high values’.

The closures come after heavy rain and hailstorms on Saturday that affected the local sewage system.

Municipal technicians are preparing a report to be presented to beaches councillor, Pepe Domenech.

Lifeguards are warning bathers about the swimming ban assisted by the Denia Policia Local operating on quad bikes.

The ban will run until the next set of water tests are completed and passed onto Denia council.

Last Thursday down the Alicante province coast, discharges closed Solsida beach in Altea and the bathing area of Les Fonts de l’Algar, with both reopening the next day.

Click here to read more Costa Blanca News from The Olive Press.

A 22-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested for assaulting elderly women in Callosa de Segura and stealing jewellery which he then pawned off.

The detainee committed six robberies between March and May in the Alicante province town, and did not hesitate to use violence.

An Orihuela court remanded him into pre-trial detention.

READ MORE:

A joint operation between the Guardia Civil and Policia Nacional was launched to find him back in March when a woman was assaulted when her car was stationary.

The thief brazenly put his arm through a window, punched her in the face and snatched a gold chain that was around her neck.

Five other street robberies were reported over the following weeks all involving elderly women, some of whom needed hospital treatment.

Descriptions of the assailant provided by the victims helped investigators to identify the man.

Inquiries revealed that he went to Elche to a pawn shop to sell off the stolen jewellery and his description matched that of the suspect.

The items were seized from the store and the women confirmed they were their items.

The man was then arrested in Callosa de Segura and hauled before an Orihuela judge, who sent him to prison.

Click here to read more Alicante News from The Olive Press.

THE Guardia Civil has started a week-long campaign to catch drink-drivers on Valencian Community roads.

The push- focusing on Alicante province- will also target drugged-up motorists and runs until next Sunday.

Officers will carry out stops on roads during the day and at night, focusing on areas with high accident rates and busy highways.

READ MORE:

Alcohol is a factor in a third of fatal road accidents and consumption multiplies the probability of an accident by up to 15 times.

Promoted by the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), the campaign seeks to prevent accidents that are linked to taking substances that affect the driving ability of motorists.

During June, 13,071 breathalyser tests were carried out on Valencian roads with 289 results being positive resulting in fines and 46 leading to court proceedings.

Even more worrying, out of 690 tests administered for drug use, with under 30%- 209- turning out positive.

The Government sub-delegate in Alicante, Juan Antonio Nieves, visited a local checkpoint on Monday.

He said that ‘alcohol and drugs are still behind too many traffic accidents’.

“Our commitment to road safety is firm, and these controls are an effective tool to reduce risky behaviour and raise awareness among citizens,” he stated.

“Zero tolerance over alcohol and drugs must be the norm,” Nieves added.

Click here to read more Costa Blanca News from The Olive Press.