My in-laws have just returned from a week in Benidorm.

They could not believe the number of muggings, bag snatches, break ins etc...

Now i know crime is everywhere but as the economy weakens has there been a noticable increase in crime????

Not around here nope, but Benidorm has so many tourists it is bag snatcher paradise, as are most tourist places, not particularly the locals, eastern europeans as well target where money is, easy pickings, they know holiday makers have money.

I think, rather than the economy weakening, one of the main factors in the (perceived) increase in crime is the opening up of the EU to Eastern Europe. Maybe someone has statistics to prove this assertion false?

When the Balkan wars started, the Spanish authorities housed 26 coach loads of Eastern European refugees in a beach hotel in Guardamar.

When hostilities ceased the authorities sent the same 26 coaches back to the beach hotel to return the refugees to their homelands. They couldn't even fill one coach.

We got a Doberman.