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Dublin Live
3 hours ago
- Dublin Live
'Gang of Spanish thieves raided my hotel room and here's how I fought back'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info 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.
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Brazen Albanian drug dealer who posed flaunting £250k cash from heroin sales is allowed to stay in UK
Officials were trying to deport the former model just eight months before his arrest GANGSTER'S PARADISE Brazen Albanian drug dealer who posed flaunting £250k cash from heroin sales is allowed to stay in UK Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ALBANIAN drug dealer who flaunted £250,000 in cash made from selling heroin has been allowed to stay in the UK. Olsi Beheluli, who was sentenced to 11 years behind bars in 2015, has been told he won't be deported. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 An Albanian drug dealer has been allowed to stay in the UK Credit: SWNS:South West News Service 4 Olsi Beheluli brazenly posed with huge stacks of cash Credit: SWNS:South West News Service The Albanian national, who arrived in England when he was nine-years-old, was caged after cops found him with eight kilograms of high-purity heroin. Beheluli, 33, played a "senior role" in the drug ring but, The Home Office and National Crime Agency (NCA) were informed he has to stay in the UK, as reported by The Telegraph. Officials were trying to deport the former model just eight months before his arrest in 2015. The National Crime Agency found a picture of him surrounded by an estimated £250,000 after raids in London. Beheluli was later found guilty of conspiring to supply class A drugs and sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court. He appeared alongside fellow gang members Besim Topalli, then 29, and Azem Proshka, then 23. It was previously reported Proshka and Topalli would be deported after they serve ten years in prison. The duo admitted conspiring to supply drugs, money laundering and possessing fake ID documents. National Crime Agency branch commander Oliver Higgins said: "Beheluli seemed to enjoy the high life and gambling with the money he made from drug dealing, but in the end his luck run out. "These men were involved in supplying significant quantities of high-purity class A drugs, as demonstrated by the value of the cash, cocaine and heroin we have seized from them. "But they were unaware that they were being watched by the NCA, and their arrest and subsequent conviction should have the wider criminal fraternity looking over their shoulders." Home Office officials as well as the NCA, previously argued must Beheluli have been operating high up within the criminal organisation to be trusted with such large sums of cash. But a lower-tier tribunal judge threw out this allegation due to a lack of physical evidence or witness testimony. Beheluli arrived in the UK in November 2000, when his father claimed asylum. His father's applications were originally rejected, but in 2006 they were granted discretionary leave to remain - which later became indefinite leave to remain. Beheluli was granted British citizenship in April 2014, but caught with the drugs and wads of cash by October. The Home Office tired to deport him and argued he had lied on his citizenship forms when he stated there was nothing 'which reflected adversely on his character'. They claimed Beheluli must have held a "senior role" within the drug dealing enterprise. The court was told by the Home Office: 'It is beyond logic to accept that [he] would be trusted with such a consignment of drugs if [he was] not already involved in the supply of Class A drugs.' However, the lower tier tribunal ruled that there was insufficient evidence to reach such a conclusion. The tribunal ruled: 'There is, for example, no surveillance or other evidence from the NCA and there is no opinion evidence from a police officer, for example, to support the suggestion that only a senior and trusted member of an organised criminal gang would be entrusted with such a quantity of drugs. 'There was no evidence of sufficient cogency to establish that the appellant had been involved in criminality at the time that he said that there was nothing adverse to declare about his character.' However, the upper tribunal rejected this and has scheduled a re-hearing. It ruled: 'Whether or not there was a statement from a police officer, and whether or not there was further evidence from the NCA, that view was deserving of respect and was capable of supporting the common-sense stance of the Secretary of State.' 4 Fellow drug dealer Ardi Beshiri also showed off wads of cash 4 Human trafficker Luan Plakici relaxed on a sofa with a handful of bills Credit: PA:Press Association
Scottish Sun
15 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Mum-of-two warns Brit tourists after Benidorm hotel room raided by teen thugs as her kids watched on in horror
"If it had happened earlier on in the week we would have flown home." HOLIDAY HORROR Mum-of-two warns Brit tourists after Benidorm hotel room raided by teen thugs as her kids watched on in horror A MUM-of-two has issued a warning to tourists after her hotel room was raided by thugs. Brit Becca Farley, 27, warned tourists to "keep your wits about you" after suffering a horror ordeal while holidaying at a Spanish tourist hotspot. Advertisement 4 Becca has issued a warning to Brits planning a holiday abroad Credit: SWNS 4 Two thieves tried to rob the Brit's hotel room Credit: Becca was staying at Magical Tropical Splash in Benidorm with her partner, six-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter when her room was raided by thugs. The mother caught the strangers entering her room on the last night of the family's £2,500 week-long holiday. With signs put up around the hotel warning of a power cut Becca headed to her room alone to charge the family's phones. She was left terrified when she discovered two thugs heading to her hotel room in a bid to rob her family. Advertisement Speaking about the horror incident Becca said: "As I got in the lift these two teenagers got in the lift with me and just pressed my floor level. "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 two robbers then exited the lift on Becca's floor and headed straight for her room. She said: "I thought 'oh sh*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. Advertisement "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. Shocking moment creepy hotel worker sneaks into Brit mum's room and steals her knickers on Benidorm holiday "But I just didn't really think and went straight into the room and shouted 'what are you doing in my room?'" Becca says one of the intruders then started screaming at her in Spanish. Advertisement She responded by yelling: "Get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out." until the two thugs ran off. The terrifying incident was not over though with the would be thieves returning minutes later and banging on the door. Becca said she stayed in her room with the door locked as the two teens continued to bang on it, she added: "I was absolutely petrified. "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. Advertisement "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." 4 The families stay at Magical Tropical Splash Hotel cost them £2,500 Credit: Advertisement 4 Becca has now warned Brits who are planning a holiday to Spain Credit: Becca went on to report the incident to hotel security after discovering another family had experienced a similar break in losing passports, watches and other valuables to the thieves. After the harrowing ordeal Becca is warning other tourists who plan to visit Spain. She said: "I would advise just to be alert. Advertisement "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." Advertisement She also recommended tourists travel with padlocks so they can secure their valuables inside suitcases. She added: "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." Advertisement Although she plans to continue travelling, Becca said she'll now take extra precautions. "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." Advertisement
The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Mum-of-two warns Brit tourists after Benidorm hotel room raided by teen thugs as her kids watched on in horror
A MUM-of-two has issued a warning to tourists after her hotel room was raided by thugs. Brit Becca Farley, 27, warned tourists to "keep your wits about you" after suffering a horror ordeal while holidaying at a Advertisement 4 Becca has issued a warning to Brits planning a holiday abroad Credit: SWNS 4 Two thieves tried to rob the Brit's hotel room Credit: Becca was staying at Magical Tropical Splash in The mother caught the strangers entering her room on the last night of the family's £2,500 With signs put up around the hotel warning of a power cut Becca headed to her room alone to charge the family's phones. She was left terrified when she discovered two thugs heading to her Advertisement Speaking about the horror incident Becca said: "As I got in the lift these two teenagers got in the lift with me and just pressed my floor level. "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 two She said: "I thought 'oh sh*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. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive Exclusive "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. Shocking moment creepy hotel worker sneaks into Brit mum's room and steals her knickers on Benidorm holiday "But I just didn't really think and went straight into the room and shouted 'what are you doing in my room?'" Becca says one of the intruders then started screaming at her in Advertisement She responded by yelling: "Get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out." until the two thugs ran off. The terrifying incident was not over though with the would be thieves returning minutes later and banging on the door. Becca said she stayed in her room with the door locked as the two teens continued to bang on it, she added: "I was absolutely petrified. "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. Advertisement "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 "If it had happened earlier on in the week we would have flown home." 4 The families stay at Magical Tropical Splash Hotel cost them £2,500 Credit: Advertisement 4 Becca has now warned Brits who are planning a holiday to Spain Credit: Becca went on to report the incident to hotel security after discovering another family had experienced a similar break in losing passports, watches and other valuables to the thieves. After the harrowing ordeal Becca is warning other tourists who plan to visit Spain. She said: "I would advise just to be alert. Advertisement "A lot of people have said we were scaremongering people not to go away, not at all. "We will certainly go on "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 Advertisement She also recommended tourists travel with padlocks so they can secure their valuables inside suitcases. She added: "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." Advertisement Although she plans to "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. Read more on the Irish Sun "I certainly wouldn't have cleaners in my room ever again, not to say it definitely was them but they have "I don't know if I would feel comfortable going up to a room on my own again." Advertisement Everything you need to know about visiting Spain Brits must have at least three months left on their passport from the day they plan to leave the country. Tourists do not need a visa if visiting for up to 90 days in an 180-day period. Make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit. Travellers may be asked to show hotel booking confirmations and that they have enough money for their stay at the border. Spain is one hour ahead of the UK. The country uses the euro with around €10 working out to £8.55. Flights to Spain from the UK take between 2-4 hours depending on the destination.
New York Post
16 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Many are turning to AI to escape from repetitive tasks in the workplace, new study reveals
American workers' productivity peaks at 11 a.m. on Mondays, according to new research. The survey of 2,000 knowledge workers revealed when respondents are most productive — and when they're least productive, which was found to be Fridays at 12:06 p.m. Advertisement While most workers (56%) are 'very productive' throughout the average workday, respondents admitted they have an average of 53 tasks per week that ruin their productive momentum. 6 The survey of 2,000 knowledge workers revealed when respondents are most productive — and when they're least productive. – This leads to over three and a half hours of 'lost productivity' per week. Commissioned by Grammarly and conducted by Talker Research, the survey examined what tasks are impacting Americans' productivity and how AI may be a solution for some. Advertisement Forty-four percent of workers surveyed said they 'hate' the repetitive aspects of their job. 6 Respondents admitted they have an average of 53 tasks per week that ruin their productive momentum. SWNS Younger respondents were more likely to agree — 57% of Gen Z workers dislike the mundane aspects, compared to 42% of Gen X. Perhaps because of this, 62% of respondents said there are tasks they'd like to use AI for within their job. Advertisement When asked what they'd find beneficial with an AI tool, employees highlighted having a tool that's easy to use (49%) and can help draft emails for them (35%), as well as something that's easy to prompt (35%). They'd also like a tool that can help with their repetitive tasks, with about a third of respondents wanting to use AI to sort data in a spreadsheet (34%) or draft notes in a meeting (33%). 6 62% of respondents said there are tasks they'd like to use AI for within their job. SWNS That's in addition to a tool that can take on simple workflows autonomously (31%) and integrates well with existing tools workers use (31%). 'We're seeing professionals turn to AI to automate repetitive tasks through intuitive, user-friendly tools that fit naturally into their existing workflows,' said Heather Breslow, Head of UX and Marketing Research at Grammarly. 'By minimizing the tedious tasks that get in the way of true productivity, AI users have time to focus on more meaningful work that requires their judgment, creativity and care.' Advertisement 6 Forty-four percent of workers surveyed said they 'hate' the repetitive aspects of their job. SWNS Despite workers already using AI, less than half of respondents' companies have a clear AI policy (38%). Still, 50% wish their workplace was more willing to embrace AI tools, with Gen Z the most likely to agree (67% vs. 59% of millennials and 45% of Gen X). This is likely because respondents see AI as an opportunity for their career to grow (64%) rather than a threat (16%). Results revealed 76% believe AI will be an essential part of corporate jobs in the future — and the future isn't that far away. 6 Despite workers already using AI, less than half of respondents' companies have a clear AI policy (38%). SWNS These respondents said, on average, it would only be three and a half years before AI becomes essential to corporate roles. 'Workers are eager to leverage AI for professional growth, and they look to their workplaces for clear guidance on maximizing its potential,' said Breslow. 'For organizations to stay competitive in a landscape where everyone is harnessing AI, they must actively invest in helping their people use it well by upskilling workers through learning and development programs. Companies can create a culture of AI super users by comprehensively training workers and integrating AI tools into workflows, equipping teams with the skills needed to succeed in an evolving landscape.' WHAT WOULD RESPONDENTS FIND MOST BENEFICIAL IN AN AI TOOL? Advertisement 6 These respondents said, on average, it would only be three and a half years before AI becomes essential to corporate roles. SWNS Easy to use — 49% Can draft an email for me — 35% Easy to prompt — 35% Can sort data in a spreadsheet — 34% Can draft notes in a meeting — 33% Can take on simple workflows autonomously for me — 31% Integrates well with the existing tools I use — 31% Can attend a meeting for me — 17% No prompting required — 10% Survey methodology: Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American knowledge workers; the survey was commissioned by Grammarly and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between May 13–19, 2025.
