Costa del Sol town issues warning as large amount of waste and furniture is dumped on busy square

Local Police officers are investigating the dumping of large quantities of furniture and rubbish in the centre of Torre del Mar on the eastern Costa del Sol.

Vélez-Málaga town hall has warned that it will fine "behaviour that affects the health and image of the municipality".

The furniture and rubbish were left in teh evening of Wednesday 14 January on Plaza Axarquía in Torre del Mar, where several underground containers were found completely surrounded by furniture, rubbish bags and bulky items, preventing their use and the proper provision of the collection service.

In a message posted on its social media, the town hall described the images as "absolutely unacceptable" and attributed what had happened to "irresponsible and selfish behaviour" that affects the whole town. "This is not a problem with the cleaning service, it is the result of the lack of civic-mindedness of a few," the town hall stressed in its message.

Vélez-Málaga Local Police has launched an investigation to try to identify the origin of the waste and those possibly responsible for its illegal dumping. The town hall has reminded residents that there is a specific services for the removal of furniture and household goods, as well as channels for requesting their collection free of charge. "Using them is an obligation, not an option," it said in its statement.

The town hall has pointed out that dumping rubbish on the street can result in fines ranging from 300 to 3,000 euros, depending on the seriousness, the volume of waste deposited and whether it is a repeat offence.