A woman has been arrested and accused of trying to do a runner from her Spanish hotel without paying her £2,000 bill.
The Irish woman was detained at Gran Canaria airport after spending two weeks in a lavish resort with her partner and child.
Police have not released her age, but she appeared in court this morning.
She had been staying at an unnamed hotel in San Bartolome de Tirajana, with a spokesman for the National Police saying an investigation was launched after the hotel couldn’t get in contact with her.
‘Hotel management reported that a family consisting of two adults and one minor had left the premises after staying for eleven nights on an all-inclusive basis without settling the bill,’ they said.
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The woman had made a reservation through the hotel’s website with a bank card, but when the hotel tried to charge the card after the stay ended, it was declined.
The police added: ‘Hotel staff repeatedly attempted to contact the person who had made the reservation in order to resolve the situation.
‘Although she initially stated that she intended to make the payment, claiming she was unable to access her bank card because she was already at the airport, she ultimately ceased all communication without paying the outstanding amount.’
National Police launched a search for the Irish woman and found her at Border Control at Gran Canaria Airport, where she was detained.
‘The detainee was taken to the Maspalomas National Police Station for the preparation of the corresponding case file and was subsequently brought before the judicial authorities.’
The police force added in a statement: ‘The National Police remains firmly committed to protecting the Canary Islands’ tourism sector, a key pillar of the archipelago’s economy, by strengthening cooperation with hotels to combat any type of criminal activity affecting their operations.’
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