LOCAL NEWS – TUESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2012

HOMELESS MAN BURNT ALIVE IN VALENCIA

Police in Valencia are investigating the death of a 62 year old homeless man, who was found burnt alive whilst resting on a bench on plaza de Juan de Vilarrasa near the central market. Two other homeless people were sleeping at the same location.

Police officers were quick to attend and covered the burning man with a blanket to extinguish the flames, before the fire crew arrived but could do nothing more to save him.

Officers are keeping an open mind as to whether the fire was started deliberately or if it was a tragic accident, although a previous complaint had been filed with the police of an individual who had allegedly tried and failed to set fire to a homeless person on a previous occasion.

MUNICIPAL VEHICLES CAN´T AFFORD FUEL

The company that supplies fuel for municipal vehicles in the Alicante town of Villajoyosa, including vehicles driven by the local police, has announced that it will no longer provide fuel to these vehicles because of outstanding payments of previous bills.

Through a press release, unions representing the company said that from midnight on Monday, municipal vehicles are not allowed to refuel at the station service department. The unions predict that this may affect public safety and "jeopardize" the movement of police vehicles through the streets of the town.

FRAUD ARRESTS IN TORREVIEJA

The Guardia Civil in Torrevieja have arrested the alleged mastermind of a criminal gang who defrauded around 11,000 euro from the Instituto Social de la Marina (ISM), along with three other members of the group, one of whom is reported to be a government official of another agency.

Those arrested, all of Spanish nationality, are charged with the offenses of forgery following an investigation that started in December last year and resulting in the group obtaining unemployment benefits or accessing training courses using forged documentation.

WARNINGS OVER BOGUS POLICE MAGAZINE ADVERTS

Murcia City Council has issued a warning relating to a scam by people pretending to be representing the local police and asking companies to pay to advertise in a police magazine.

Municipal sources reported that this method of fraud and was used some years ago in various locations across the regions but then disappeared, but has now become active once again. The same sources have indicated that the local police of Murcia do not edit any type of publication, and does not carry out any advertising campaigns, institutional or private.

ITALIANS – COME TO ORIHUELA

The councillor for tourism in Orihuela, Pedro Mancebo, has met with some thirty Italian tour operators, in a bid to try to encourage them to tempt more Italian travellers to enjoy the delights of Orihuela city.

The aim was to try to enhance the promotion of the town and the influx of Italian tourists in particular, but not only during the summer months, but all year round because of the rich cultural and culinary heritage of the city.