Local police in El Campello were surprised during a routine check when they stopped a vehicle containing two young men and discovered an arsenal of spray cans and bolt cutters.
The discovery occurred when a patrol became suspicious of a car. During the inspection, officers were surprised to find dozens of aerosol cans, which graffiti artists use to create murals on walls and other urban spaces, municipal sources explained.
The cans came in every imaginable colour and were found next to a pair of bolt cutters. This tool is commonly used to break chains and padlocks that both private individuals and the City Council use to protect restricted access areas.
Two young men were travelling in the vehicle, and their merchandise was confiscated. They were identified and allowed to continue on their way, as they could not be linked to any specific act of vandalism at that time.
One of the individuals already had a police record, with a history of creating graffiti in public spaces, which they call urban art. The reality is that this practice has become a problem that forces the City Council to spend public money on its removal and the repainting of these spaces to restore them to their original state, according to the same sources.
This incident comes after the start of the high tourist season in El Campello, which has been hit by a wave of vandalism against public facilities and equipment located on the beaches and coves of the municipality.
The damage, detected at various points along the coast, has led the City Council to take action. Officials are considering toughening sanctions to curb a situation that, although repeated every year, has started earlier this time and has done so with a particularly worrying intensity, according to municipal sources.
Among the damage reported are broken locks on municipal booths, graffiti in tunnels leading to the beaches and on various walls, as well as the removal and destruction of informational signs. In recent days, some of the signs have been ripped out completely, and others show damage caused by tools such as saws and even angle grinders in cases where the signs were made of metal.
The signs informing the public about the prohibition of dogs bathing in certain areas have been particularly affected and have been targeted by vandals. This situation has drawn the attention of city officials, who consider it unacceptable that elements intended to ensure peaceful coexistence and compliance with current regulations are being damaged.
