Haven't seen the programme but I shouldn't worry about anything. Crime is everywhere. There may have been the odd happenings here and there but I wouldnt let that put you off having a lovely relaxing time on your holidays.

By the way, what channel/time is it on? I would love to see it myself.

If you are going to English bars and clubs at 2 in the morning you can expect some rowdiness but during the day and early evening there is no problem attall, No need to worry and remember the programme only showed isolated incidents. I go to spain every six weeks and Benmaldena is a lovely family oriented resort and I would not worry if you are a family man!!!

We where staying near the Port last summer whilst the programme was being made, did not see or hear any trouble whatsoever.

You will notice that most of the "problems" occur very late at night / early in the morning- when people have had too much to drink. Which is just the same as probably any holiday resort in the uk or elsewhere in the world, and probably many city centres each weekend - dont forget on the TV you are seeing 10 weeks of incidents compressed into 12 x 20 minute programmes, by the time you take out add breaks, intro etc etc.

Go and enjoy yourselves.

Thanks for your replies if you want to watch Costa Dell Crime its on bravo on a tuesday night about 10 o clock

Steve

I wouldn't watch this type of programme if you paid me. It is gutter reporting at it's worst. They specifically set out to find trouble, often paying to get people drunk in order to enhance the chances of fights, and then portray the image that this footage was shot in one night as they randomly moved about a resort.

The same was done years ago with "Ibiza Uncovered", and the island still suffers from that image to this day. I know for a fact that they were paying kids in Ibiza to binge drink and then filming them throwing up in the streets. They were also paying girls to flash their breasts in the street. This sort of image draws more viewers than a nice little programme about happy families having quiet holidays.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that either resort is trouble free, but it is rare and is not limited to these resorts. In fact, you have far more chance of finding trouble in any large British town at the weekend than you have on the Costas.

Watch something else next week and enjoy your holiday in peace when the time comes.

watched this program last night & couldn't believe,it was the same resort,in which we had a great holiday in sept.
it was the 1st time,we had ever visited belamadena,but we came away,really liking the resort.we honestly never seen,anything like,which was reported.
this was one of the reasons,we liked the resort,so much.maybe it was because,it was the end of sept,but i never seen,1 drunken yob,not that,i never,drink myself,but you know what i mean! & this really impressed me,as it was me,hubby & 5 yr old grandaughter,so it was great,for us.
will definately be returning
tracy

I think all the posts on this subject sum up the basic truth that Benalmadena is undoubtedly a sfe resort to visit at any time of the year.
However the British Culture of heavy drinking and loutish behaviour is certainly not tolerated by the police or the locals in the resort and what may seem a bit of friendly drunken banter by young british males is seen as an insult to Spanish sensibilities and can quickly lead to serious trouble for the lager louts who visit Spain in the summer months.
In short if you realize that it is not acceptable to be blind drunk in public and you dont take the P out of young spanish men who are going out for a good time you have nothing to worry about.
If you do not respect the local culture of moderate drinking and natural friendliness of the locals dont be suprised if you get into trouble and dont even think of being cheeky to the local police they are lethal!!!!!
As I have said in my previous post I visit Spain every 6 to 8 weeks and have never heard of any indiscriminate attacks against UK citizens but every visit i have been told about the outrageous behaviour by my fellow Brits in Benalmedena in the early hours of the morning in the numerous all night bars in that area

Was this the one on Bravo?

I read about it in the local paper, and it had a photo of two drunk lads on it. Well...

I bumped into these Scouse guys who were staying in Guadalmar (and there are NO UK people in Guadalmar unless they have residencia), sent them to the local pizza restaurant and afterwards they bought me and my housemate loads of drinks to say thanks. I then sent them into 24 Hour Square and they got back about 7.30am. I saw them the following day and got to know them properly. They were all loud, boozed up lads, in their late 20's to early 40s, mostly married and on a stag do. They were top fellas and I saw them everyday of their three days.

But they were filmed that night in the square, so don't believe everything you see. There are boozed up people everywhere but Benalmadena is absolutely fine for kids until about 1am. Then obviously everyone is tanked up but it still isn't dangerous.

I still think people in the uk have got the message. Being boozed up in the uk and having fun is totally ok but unfortunately the average Spanish lad doesnt understand our behaviour attall and sometimes when we are loudand throw friendly bamter at each other or more!!! the consequences can be really dangerous.
The spanish lads in Benmaldena go out to the 24 hour square to meet girls and getting too drunk and loud is tottally uncool. No spanish girl wants to be seen with a drunkard!!! So when they see us brits staggering around with our mates at 3 in the morning they either think that we are stupid or unfortunately get it totally wrong and take great offence,
Unfair yes but its a fact of life in Spain it is not on to be drunk in public and it is certainly not accepted.
Apart from that I love Spanish youth!!!!!

there was one show where 4 irish lads had all been stabbed..hardly a small incident blown up.......they couldnt even get an ambulance......

I went here last year with a group of girls, we went to the 24hr square everynight and i think once down to the marina... In all our time at the 24 hr square i didnt see any trouble and to be truthfully honest thought it was a nice quiet friendly place. The marina was full of spanish guys and i think they went there most nights, they didnt cause trouble ither. On the whole i would reccomed it for any family or People who are young.
Can anyone tell me where i could watch the programme on the internet or something?

If you know anyone with Virgin cable, six episodes of the series are currently available "On Demand" on Catch-Up TV.

yep

its bein shown at present on bravo, ignore it it, this was filmed in 2002, and the other night showed a stabbing outside where I am staying in august the las palmeras, and yes it is a bit manic in the centre of fuengi especially opp the marina/Macdonalds but in all honesty we didnt see any trouble or any rowdiness at all, I love the centre the hustle and bustle and being in the mids of it all for the bars, restaurants is a must for me...crime is every where, even in marbella/puerto banus, and any of these programmes highlights bad points in any town, country etc, I live in manchester and everyone seems to thing its full of guns, voilance etc, manchester is a happening vibrant city, and yes has its chavs, also barcalona is the same, brill city lots of chracters but be on your guard and you will have a fab time..have your wits about you..enjoy costa del sol its my fave part of spain and very beautiful!!!

We got back from Costa del sol yesterday after a 2 week stay in Calahonda.
As already said , unless you are going to be walking about on your own at 2 in the morning I wouldn't worry.
We saw no crime.
In fact we saw a lot of police & security about.
My husband got breathalyzed at 1 in the morning coming back from taking our daughter to the airport.
He hadn't been drinking.
They were stopping everyone and some where over the limit.
One thing we were warned about .
Don't leave you windows open or closed and unlocked even if you have grids on them.
Something thay call pole fishing is a big thing so the locals say.
Long poles are put through the windows with hooks on the ends, keys ,bags, cameras etc are being taken.

I have to agree with Jay Jay. This programme is complete and utter rubbish.

We go to Benalmadena every year and yes we have seen little spots of trouble with local youths and British youths but they are normally round about the age of 15.

Yes I know the average Spaniard will not understand the British youths going out to get plastered every night but on this progamme a few things stick out like sore thumbs.

The majority of arrests shown are Spaniards either drink driving, stealing mopeds or beating women up. The other thing the Spanish youths are good at and it has been highlighted on here is causing trouble then blaming the British youth.

Now I am not saying all the trouble is down to the Spanish it obviously isn't but there are not many Brits arrested in this programme. Most are so drunk they get taken away in an ambulance not a police car.

The other thing that is laughable about this trash is the intro. The Costa Del Sol is home to every British criminal smuggling drugs, being the most violent and money laundering amongst other things yet th Spanish police dont arrest any of them they just go for the young lads and lasses who have had too much to drink.

The one person that really makes me laugh is the investigative journalist who has lived on the CDS amongst all this crime, squalor and debauchery for 10 whole years. Imagine having to live through all that for 10 years, if it was that bad why didn't he leave about 9 years ago.

Dont let this dross put you off going to any of the resorts on the CDS especially Benalmadena it is a wonderful place to spend your holiday.

On the subject of time being taken for an ambulance to arrive we witnessed a RTA last year and because of the timing of the accident the ambulance had to come from an ambulance station further away as the local one was closed.

We were staying in costa del sol, you know where Dempseys bar is?

Well, about 10 mins from there.

We were staying in our mates villa, we hired it for 10 days in August 2005.

Around the 7th day, we got robbed, we were actually INSIDE the apartment!. We were in the back kitchen, they came through the front gate and doors and went straight into our bedroom, and took 1k from our bedside drawer. It only must haver been around 20 secs. I walked out of the apartment to go to the pool, it must have been around 1 minute after it happened, i didnt know at that moment in time, and i saw 2 girls with huge grins on their faces, walking back down the road, but i didnt suspect a thing, So BEWARE.

What a bummer we were in, because we didnt take any travelers cheques or anything. :|.

I'm sorry to hear about the theft.
It's a shame but we do tend to forget security a bit when on holiday.
I no Dempsys's bar well.
We were in there 2 weeks ago.
We were staying in a villa opposite on the other side of the road.
We no all about locking everything up.
We have warned many times.
We have a time share at Dona Lola.
There is a big problem with gypsies in that area.
They come into the apartments off the beach.
We were staying at Leila Playa just up the road a couple of years ago.
We came back from shopping in the car and a group of them ,women and young girls were trying to get into our ground floor apartment.
Anyone who know's Leila playa will no they have 2 sliding patio doors and people forget to lock both.
A few people were robbed while we were there.
Mostly stuff taken off the patios and balconies but one apartment was robbed while the people were at the pool.
It was midday.
It was a childs birthday and they took all his presents that were wrapped up.
Camera ,money etc.

There is a lot of this petty crime , fortunately these gypsies don't tend to get aggressive and just run away if caught.
Like I said in an earlier post keep your doors and windows locked.
They go fishing through the metal grids.
Even when you are in if out of site.
They really are very cheeky and get escorted off the sites of the apartments time and time again but still come back.
Also watch your stuff on the beach ,bags were being taken.
The villa we were in had gates that locked.
And they were locked all the time even when we were in.
Not only to keep the children in but to keep the gypsies out.

Thats who did it Gypsies!

Btw, is it still the man and woman working there? with 3 children?

We ALWAYS used to be at dempseys!