Instead of spending Friday morning in the classroom, local teenagers took to the sand at Benajarafe beach, pulling nearly double last year’s rubbish haul off the coastline.

Students from secondary schools in Velez-Malaga and Cordoba took part in the clean-up on Friday, October 9 from 11am to 2pm, as part of the European Union’s #EUBeachCleanUp campaign.

A bigger haul than last year

Volunteers collected rubbish from the sand, then weighed and sorted it by type and likely origin. This year’s total of 65kg compares with 35kg gathered during the previous edition at La Cala del Moral, where finds included cigarette ends, fishing material and small pieces of plastic.

Benajarafe hosted the initiative for the first time in its fourth year, with earlier clean-ups taking place in Torrox, Algarrobo and Rincon de la Victoria, bringing the programme to different parts of the eastern Costa del Sol.

Why the beach clean-up matters

After the fieldwork, students attended an environmental awareness workshop on the value of the marine environment and the impact of waste on coastal ecosystems. Organisers wanted the day to go beyond filling bags, helping young people see how litter on land can affect the sea.

Jesus Maria Claros, Malaga provincial council’s deputy for European resources, said: “Marine pollution starts on land, which is why environmental education is the first tool for protecting our coastline.”

Council cleaning services

Velez-Malaga town hall says its beach-cleaning service operates throughout the year across 22km of coast, using staff and equipment provided by local company EMVIPSA. During the busiest months, from June to September, additional resources are deployed to maintain the beaches.

Council rules prohibit people from leaving rubbish on the sand and require waste to be placed in the bins provided. The student clean-up complements the council’s routine beach-maintenance work.

Part of a global campaign

#EUBeachCleanUp has run since 2017 and is led by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, together with the European External Action Service and the United Nations. It brings together clean-up activities around the world to draw attention to waste reaching the oceans and its effect on marine biodiversity.

What it means for the coast

Benajarafe’s beach depends not only on council services but on the habits of everyone who uses it. Taking rubbish home, cutting down on single-use plastics and joining local clean-ups can all reduce what ends up in the sea.

With 65kg removed in just three hours, this year’s student-led effort offers a hopeful example of how young people, local authorities and European programmes can work together to protect one of the Axarquia’s most stunning landscapes.

A 20-year-old man has died in a road collision that has left two international show jumpers at the centre of an investigation, after Sira Martínez, daughter of football manager Luis Enrique, and British Olympic champion Scott Brash were involved in a fatal crash near Oliva, Valencia. For the young motorcyclist’s family, Thursday evening ended in tragedy.

Martínez and Brash escaped injury, but the driver is now being investigated over the circumstances of the collision, which happened at around 8:oopm on October 8. The crash took place on the N-332 in Oliva, where the car Brash was driving collided with the motorcycle. The 20-year-old Spanish man died at the scene.

Why the investigation?

Guardia Civil are investigating Brash after an allegedly illegal manoeuvre may have contributed to the collision. He has not been convicted of an offence, and the investigation is continuing to establish exactly what happened. Alcohol and drug tests reportedly returned negative results. The investigation will determine how the vehicles collided and whether the circumstances warrant further legal action. No conviction has been established.

Who is Sira Martínez?

Martínez, 26, is a show jumper and the daughter of Luis Enrique, the former Spain manager who now coaches Paris Saint-Germain. She was travelling in the passenger seat of the car at the time of the crash and was not injured. Although her father is internationally recognised for his football career, Martínez has pursued her own career in equestrian sport, competing in show jumping events.

Brash, 40, is one of Britain’s most successful riders. The Scottish show jumper won team gold with Great Britain at both the London 2012 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In 2015, he became the first rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. The collision has brought the two riders into the same investigation, although the focus remains on the circumstances that led to the motorcyclist’s death.

Crash happened during Oliva’s show-jumping tour

The collision happened while the Oliva Nova Mediterranean Equestrian Tour was taking place nearby. The autumn competition runs from September 29 to October 18, attracting international riders to the Valencian coast. There is no confirmed information establishing whether Martínez and Brash were travelling to or from the competition when the collision occurred. 

The immediate concern remains the death of the young motorcyclist and the investigation into how the crash happened. Authorities are continuing their enquiries, and the findings will determine whether further proceedings follow.

A WhatsApp message from your son or daughter requesting money might not be real, even if it is from their regular number. Spain’s National Police have alerted families about a highly convincing scam in which criminals masquerade as children to trick parents into wiring hundreds of euros.

The new scam is a version of the well-known hijo en apuros or child in trouble scam that has been circulating in Spain for years. This time, scammers are using a blocked bank account and unpaid laptop to trick parents into sending money.

The trick is especially devious since the fake message can seem to be from the child’s real WhatsApp account. It’s not from a new number.

According to the Policia Nacional, criminals are taking advantage of parents’ natural tendency to help their children, especially when the need seems urgent and a friend asks for help.

How the WhatsApp scam works

The scam starts with a WhatsApp message from a son or daughter, who tells you that they have bought a laptop online and would like to pay by cash on delivery.

The computer is supposedly there. But they have a problem. They are unable to pay the seller because their bank account is temporarily closed. The sender asks their parent to cover the payment. They will then transfer the money back to them tomorrow after access to the bank account has been restored.

The message may sound like a familial favor, especially if it is received in the midst of a WhatsApp conversation with a familiar contact.

However, the person asking for money is not necessarily the child at all.

Police are warning that crooks can take over someone’s WhatsApp and use it to impersonate them when communicating with family members.

Unlike scams involving messages from unknown numbers, this version can be more persuasive because the request appears to come from an account the recipient already recognises.

The amount can also be substantial. A laptop can easily cost €400 or €500, and even more than that. A parent who responds to the ad without first checking out might end up losing hundreds of euros.

Criminals are relying on a basic response. When a child is in trouble, most parents will want to solve the problem as soon as possible. And because the supposed problem is temporary, with repayment promised the next day, the request may not immediately raise suspicions.

Spain’s National Police explain how to spot the warning signs

The Policia Nacional is asking people to be wary of sending money, even if it is someone they are close to. The most important precaution is to verify the story through another means of communication.

If you receive a WhatsApp message from your son or daughter asking for a surprise payment, you should always reach out to them before doing anything else.

If they are at home, call them and ask them if they sent the message. Call their usual number and ask if the message was actually sent.

This simple step can expose a fraud, especially since the person who owns the account might not even be aware that someone else has their WhatsApp account.

Another warning sign is a request to transfer money to an unfamiliar bank account. Even if the explanation sounds reasonable, police warn people to check out before donating.

A frozen bank account, a need to buy something, and the promise of a refund tomorrow may all seem plausible at first, but they can be part of shrewd scheme.

The fact that you receive a message from someone you know on WhatsApp is not in itself evidence that it is the person you know who is sending it.

What to do if you receive a suspicious WhatsApp message

First thing is to avoid any transfer until the request has been independently verified.

If the letter turns out to be a fraud, it’s also important to alert your other family members and friends.

The police warning suggests that criminals who access a victim’s WhatsApp account may make several contacts with people the victim is connected with, in the hope that one of them will agree to transfer funds.

Alerting family members quickly could therefore prevent others from falling for the same deception.

If you’ve already transferred funds, contact your bank immediately and report the fraud to them. Ask them if you can reverse the transaction or get your money back. Also, contact the police.

People in Spain can also get help with cybersecurity through the National Cybersecurity Institute, INCIBE, which offers a free 017 helpline.

Police are reminding the public that it is wise to have a conversation with the person asking for money in a WhatsApp message before sending them money. A quick phone call could be enough to prevent a costly mistake.