Police turf British couple out of own home after they found squatters lounging in their holiday cottage

A British couple were ordered to stay in a hotel after finding squatters lounging in their Menorca holiday home.

The British duo arrived at their Spanish villa to discover an unfamiliar alarm system had been fitted to the property.

They also discovered that their personal items, including furniture and rugs, had been taken from the premises.

The pair quickly realised that other people had been staying in their villa.

Two Spanish men - a 55-year-old father and his 25-year-old son - subsequently turned up at the address.

A confrontation ensued between the parties, with each side accusing the other of assault.

Initially, local police allowed the squatters to stay at the property after they presented documents suggesting they had been living there.

The Mallorca Daily Bulletin reported that this evidence included a receipt for installing the alarm, and records of supermarket deliveries to the address.

Authorities told the rightful owners to find alternative lodgings at a hotel.

But justice prevailed the next day when the couple's lawyer submitted Land Registry documentation proving they owned the villa.

The pair lodged formal complaints citing unlawful occupation and theft of their belongings.

Police subsequently detained both squatters.

But the incident is yet another in a slew of squatter stand-offs affecting British property owners in Spain.

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Last year, Joanne Venet, a 61-year-old wedding celebrant and actress from Radcliffe in Greater Manchester, was forced to sell her holiday stay near Benidorm after a squatter refused to leave.

Her difficulties began when a tenant stopped paying the monthly rent of €1,400 for the €450,000 three-bedroom luxury villa.

Spain's stringent tenancy regulations meant she faced years of legal battles and substantial costs to remove the Spanish citizen.

Ultimately, she paid £4,000 to a specialist eviction service to remove the occupant, who owed €5,600 in unpaid rent and bills.

In a separate case, a British pensioner died just a few weeks before he would have been able to reclaim his "dream home" after his years-long battle with squatters ended.

Kenneth Jobe died of cancer shortly before Spanish authorities were due to carry out an eviction notice on those living in his home.

The 84-year-old had allegedly lost more than €50,000 (£43,670) in rent on his three-bedroom property in Mijas, a municipality on the south coast of Spain.

A British family who allegedly owed Mr Jobe more than six years of rent vacated the property just before local authorities arrived to carry out a court-ordered eviction.

Spanish authorities warn Britons who are planning to leave their home in Spain empty for a period of time to install security cameras and an alarm system.

If squatters are caught breaking in on CCTV, and the police are notified of an alarm immediately, a much stronger case can be made for an immediate eviction.

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