'Gang of Spanish thieves raided my hotel room and here's how I fought back'
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A mother-of-two whose hotel room was burgled while on holiday in Spain has shared how she flew into a rage when she caught the thieves red-handed – and sent them fleeing with a barrage of English expletives.
Becca Farley was holidaying at the Magic Tropical Splash resort in Benidorm with her partner and two children, aged six and 11, when she discovered intruders in their room. The family, from Eastleigh, England, had forked out £2,500 for their week-long stay.
On their final night, with notices around the hotel alerting guests to an impending power cut, Becca returned to the room to charge their mobiles ahead of their journey home.
"As I got in the lift these two teenagers got in the lift with me and just pressed my floor level," she recounted "I honestly didn't think anything of it because there's five rooms per floor so I just assumed they were going to one of them."
The teens exited the lift before her and walked directly into her room, the door of which had been propped open by a shoe. Becca added: "I thought, 'Oh s**t, I have obviously got off on the wrong floor. What a palaver. I'm going to have to wait for the lift again'. But it was the right floor.
"It happened all quite quickly and they just strolled straight into my room. I then followed in after them, which in hindsight, I shouldn't have because you hear horror stories and I think it could have gone sour. But I just didn't really think and went straight into the room and shouted 'What are you doing in my room?'"
One of the intruders began yelling at her in Spanish, prompting Becca to yell back: "Get the f**k out! Get the f**k out! Get the f**k out!" until they left. They came back shortly after and pounded on the door while she remained locked inside.
"I was absolutely petrified," she admitted. "I know it sounds silly and people have said you should have done this, you should have locked them in the room, you should have decked them but at that moment I think it was just that invasion of privacy.
"This is supposed to be your safe place when you are away, you're away from home, we don't travel all that often so we were really shaken. Then that night I did not sleep because I was flinching at every noise. If it had happened earlier on in the week we would have flown home."
After informing hotel security about the incident, Becca learnt another family had suffered a similar intrusion and had passports, watches and other valuables stolen, reports the Liverpool Echo.
(Image: Becca Farley/SWNS)
Becca is now alerting other holidaymakers planning trips to Spain with some advice: "I would advise just to be alert. A lot of people have said we were scaremongering people not to go away. Not at all.
"We will certainly go on holiday again. It's not a case of us never going abroad again, but I think it's just having that awareness that if you are a lone woman, please be careful.
"I'm very lucky that I'm OK, but I think it's just a case of having your wits about you a bit more. When you go on holiday you tend to relax and become a little bit naive to these situations."
She also advised securing valuables in suitcases with padlocks, saying: "Obviously keep your valuables safe. I know some people say 'Don't use the safes'. We personally lock all of ours and padlock them in our suitcases.
"I think it's just a case of having your wits about you and knowing not to get comfortable in somewhere you've never been before."
(Image: Becca Farley/SWNS)
Despite her intention to continue travelling, Becca stated that she'll now take additional precautions. She said: "I'm considering getting a webcam that you can put in your room next time we go away. I will carry on locking my stuff away. I would never take the kids away on my own.
"I certainly wouldn't have cleaners in my room ever again, not to say it definitely was them but they have access to your room. I don't know if I would feel comfortable going up to a room on my own again."
Magic Tropical Splash Hotel has been contacted for comment.
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