600 shortfall in the number of policemen and women placed across the Costas.

All the police stations in the province have a deficit of numbers which is now described in some places as ‘alarming’. Biggest shortages are seen in Estepona, Torremolinos, Vélez-Málaga and Antequera.

Latest data shows the number of National Police in the province is at 81% capacity, 2,492 instead of the 3,067 required.Spokesman from the SUP police union in Málaga, Manuel Expósito, told the Diario Sur newspaper that apart from tourism the nature of the Costa del Sol was that there were more inhabitants than those officially registered on the census, and this led to more police work. In addition the Costa del Sol remains a crime hotspot with 61% of the crimes committed in Eastern Andalucía, that’s to say in the provinces of Málaga, Granada, Jaén and Almería.