British couple arrested in Mallorca for attempting to leave hotel without paying their bill

A British couple have been arrested after allegedly leaving a Mallorca hotel without paying their bill.

The pair were held at a bus stop around two miles from the establishment after leaving in a hurry.

Police discovered they were wanted over an identical crime at a hotel belonging to the same chain in Valencia.

They had been banned from leaving Spain and had to hand in their passports.

The unnamed couple are understood to have assumed the identity of a regular client at the hotel in the Mallorca municipality of Calvià to get away with not paying their bill.

They racked up accommodation costs and extras of 500 euros before leaving.

A spokesman for the Guardia Civil in Mallorca said today: “The Guardia Civil has arrested two British nationals, a man and a woman, as the alleged perpetrators of a fraud offence after leaving a hotel establishment in Calvià without paying the costs of their stay.

“The events occurred on Sunday afternoon, when officers were called following an alert issued by hotel management.

“Two guests had hurriedly left the premises with all of their belongings, without paying the accommodation and consumption charges, which amounted to more than 500 euros, and leaving various damaged items in the room.

“Rapid coordination with the establishment's staff and the private security service enabled the suspects to be intercepted at a bus stop located more than two kilometres from the hotel.

“When asked by the patrol to identify themselves, both individuals displayed an uncooperative attitude, failing to provide original documentation and showing only photographs of dubious quality on mobile devices. They also claimed to have no address in Spain.

“The officers verified that neither of the two was officially listed in the reservation record.

“The woman had impersonated the legitimate account holder before hotel staff for days in order to make charges and enjoy the resort's services.

“It was also established that both detainees had already carried out an identical modus operandi crime earlier this year at another hotel belonging to the same chain in the province of Valencia.

“Furthermore, a database check revealed that both individuals had multiple active alerts on record, including a search and arrest warrant.

“Processed by the National Police in Valencia for offences of fraud and damage it involved a a ban on them leaving national territory and the withdrawal of their passports.

“The officers proceeded to arrest both individuals and subsequently transfer them to police premises for all these reasons.

The detainees have been handed over to the courts.”

It was not immediately clear on Wednesday if they have already appeared before a judge who would have to decide whether to remand them in custody or release them on bail.

Last month a British couple were arrested for an alleged “dine and dash” while on holiday in Magaluf, which is in the municipality of Calvià.

The man, 36, and woman, 31, were accused of assaulting police during the pair’s chaotic arrest.

The restaurant owners alleged that a couple had left without paying the bill because they claimed one of the dishes had been unacceptable.

The suspects were found wading in the sea nearby after a police search.

They were asked to get out of the water but reportedly refused to do so before shouting insults and threats at the officers.

Browse more news from Spain here