Five thousand British students spark outrage with drunken spring break in Spanish seaside resort

[alienlovechild 75]

Thousands of British students have sparked outrage in a Spanish seaside resort during a drunken spring break.

Around 5,000 youngsters have gathered on the Costa Dorada for a five-day festival of late night-drinking and debauchery. 'Saloufest' promotes itself as a sporting event, but locals have been shocked by the alcohol-fueled antics of many of the 18 to 23-year-olds. Just 24 hours after the partying started in the town of Salou, nine people had been treated by paramedics for drunkenness, with five of those requiring hospital treatment for alcohol poisoning.

One young man broke his leg when he was accidentally run over by a police patrol car, and residents say they have woken to found the streets covered in vomit and urine. Spanish newspapers and TV stations have shown pictures of drunken Britons rampaging through the town in fancy dress or in their underwear, exposing their private parts and their buttocks.

They said the students were attracted by the promise of cheap beer, free shots and easy sex.

The event, which has been running since 2002, started on Sunday and ends tomorrow. A second leg takes place from 1 to 6 of April. Students from more than 100 UK universities pay between £195 and £329 to attend, depending on their transport and accommodation. Many residents told local newspapers they were disgusted by the behaviour of the Britons. Jaime Corbella said: 'This is unprecedented, I've never seen such behaviour in my life.'

Antonio Tejado said: 'They should be allowed to have fun, they're young, but the should not behave like this in the street.' Aurelio Langa added: 'Who thinks it's okay for 500 kids to be running about in their underwear, shouting in the street at 1am? Where are the police?'

Maria Gomez, spokeswoman for a local residents' association, said: 'This morning the streets were full of vomit. This kind of drunken tourism is deplorable.' Dozens of students took part in an underwater sangria drinking competition, won by a business studies student from the University of Portsmouth who gave his name as Erik.

He said: 'We came here to play sports, but only with a hangover. Spain is our spring break.'

The tourism industry in Spain has had a disastrous year as the recession has seen bookings drop by around 16 per cent. Resorts dependent on British visitors, like Salou, have been particularly hard-hit, as holidaymakers travelling from the UK get fewer euros for the pounds. The town hall in Salou, which lies 70 miles south of Barcelona and has a population of 27,000, defended the event.

A spokesman said: 'They are university students, not hooligans. It is a leisure break based around sports. The night-time activities of the students have not caused any major disorder, but there have been noisy group activities and minor incidents.' Some hoteliers also defended the students. Jaume Orteu, manager of the Playa Park hotel where 600 Britons are staying, said: 'Of course it is drunken tourism, but they are good clients.'

The bars in Salou shut at around 3am, but many of the students stay up until dawn drinking in the street.

Danny Anderson, 20, studying engineering at London's Brunel University, was out drinking for 18 hours non-stop. He told a reporter from the national newspaper El Pais: 'Only nine people treated by alcohol problems out of 5,000? Tonight we have to beat that.' Another student said: 'I only drink vodka after dark. I wish we had bars like this in London.' Two years ago a similar event in the resort of Calella, 30 miles north of Barcelona on the Costa Maresme, sparked a similar reaction. The mayor of Calella, Josep Maria Juhe, said then: 'These students do not behave like civilised human beings and we don't want them here.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1262543/Five-thousand-British-students-spark-outrage-drunken-spring-break-Spanish-seaside-resort.html

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

No way will these kids ever make the cut to immigrate to Australia.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Which is why you don't go to Spanish or Greek resort towns. They are all like this, and its not simply a case of drunken students randomly descending on these towns - bar owners out there go out of their way to attract them.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Which is why you don't go to Spanish or Greek resort towns.

Agreed, stick to Australian resort towns. Australians know how to act right and don't tolerate misbehavior from anyone. Misbehave in Oz and you'll get your face punched by a bald man with a sawed off shotgun.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Which is why you don't go to Spanish or Greek resort towns. They are all like this, and its not simply a case of drunken students randomly descending on these towns - bar owners out there go out of their way to attract them.

Huh what , how about you dont go outside at all if your going to act like this

[Fandango 1,439]

Those wacky Brits!

[Empress of Groovy 373]

One young man broke his leg when he was accidentally run over by a police patrol car, and residents say they have woken to found the streets covered in vomit and urine. Spanish newspapers and TV stations have shown pictures of drunken Britons rampaging through the town in fancy dress or in their underwear, exposing their private parts and their buttocks.

Private parts and buttocks?! Holy sh!t!

[Peikko 1,575]

It's not 'spring break' it's Easter Holidays

[Empress of Groovy 373]

It's not 'spring break' it's Easter Holidays

Private parts and buttocks on Easter Holidays?! My goodness!