‘My head was exploding’
Gibraltar National Day
A YOUNG mum has recalled her horrific ordeal after contracting the West Nile virus. Melody Sur, 26, from Sevilla, felt her head ‘was exploding’ from headaches, after being bitten by an infected mosquito in Coria del Rio. The sensation was ‘like having my heart in my brain’ she revealed after she was finally diagnosed following SIX hospital trips over two weeks in agony. Her words came as Malaga activated its action plan against the deadly virus after infected mosquitoes were found in the Campanillas area and beside the Guadalhorce River.
Suffering
While there have yet to be any recorded cases, the authorities are taking regular inspections of stagnant waters. The Sevilla mother had first gone to see a doctor on July 29 suffering from severe headaches. “The doctors asked me if I woke up at night, if the light bothered me, and if the pain was getting worse, and I answered ‘yes’ to everything,” she recalled. She was eventually hospitalised for five days after developing encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), one of the side effects of the disease. “But I had to go to A&E six times before they believed me. They kept ruling out a mosquito bite, but I was sure it was the cause.” A trio of people have died from the disease in Coria del Rio this year, two of them who Melody knew personally. There have been a further two deaths nearby.
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Expat ‘facing bankruptcy’ after council blocks the re-opening of his €1.75 million hotel leading to 16 wedding cancellations AN Irish expat claims he has lost over €1.75 million after his town hall gave ‘constant excuses’ to block his country hotel from re-opening. Michael Walsh, 40, bought the well established hotel to run alongside his wife and three children, who moved to Malaga four years ago. He had hoped to re-open charming Finca La Mota, in Alhaurin El Grande, at the end of May. However, just a week before opening
JIMMY Carr has claimed most British expats are ‘criminals’, ‘tax evading’ or ‘running away from something’. “But most of you’ve been here so long I’m sure you can go home now without any problems,” the comic told a soldout audience in Marbella. He then insisted Brexit wasn’t ‘so bad’. And the UK was ‘flirting again’ with Europe and it would be like ‘getting back with an ex’. Part of a 45-country global tour, he told the Olive Press backstage that he was ‘constantly on the move’, having arrived from a gig in Somerset the night before and heading to Mallorca the following day. “I’m off to Canada on
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he was told it ‘did not have a hotel licence’, despite being run as such for three decades. “It was just one excuse after another,” he told the Olive Press. “I knew it would take years to fight in court.” The former Cork hotel owner continued: “They lied the whole way through, it’s absolutely disgraceful. They’ve stopped me from opening my business and it's bankrupting us.” He claims he has ‘lost the entire summer season’, having to return over €300,000 in canWednesday and have been to places as celled bookings, including 16 far and wide as Australia and Japan, weddings, worth €150,000. where incredibly people understand He claims the renovation work me,” he insisted. alone came to €650,000 and After maligning Torremolinos, he said added he had to pay 25 emhe had spent ‘two great weeks’ in ployees for a week's work out of Marbella this summer and even his own pocket. showed interest in buying a The successful rural hotel and property in the resort. restaurant had formerly been It came after an estate agent run by American and Dutch in the audience shouted out owners, who were long-term he could help him find a villa. clients of the Olive Press. “I know estate agents “I cannot understand what has are pushy twats but now they’re trying to sell me a home during a show,” he BAD joked. “I might be interestDREAM: ed though.” Michael The 90-minute gig Walsh at the Marbella Areand na was part of his family Laughs Funny tour.
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IDYLLIC LOCATION: But Finca La Mota has turned into a red tape nightmare gone wrong,” said the previous owner this week. “It has always been a popular hotel regularly visited by local politicians to eat. We never had a problem. “It really makes no sense.” Walsh claims the hotel licence was first granted by the official Andalucian tourist registry in Sevilla 32 years ago. Officials from Alhaurin town hall claim, however, the licence is no longer ‘valid’ due to a subsequent bylaw requiring hotel properties to measure at least 25,000m2. They ignored a clear caveat that overruled this law if a licence was granted before it was introduced, claims Walsh. When he pointed this out to officials, he claims they said there were also ‘noise
How did they do that ?
complaints’ and warned they would impose a ‘hefty fine’ if he tried to open. As he tries to fight the council alongside his lawyer, he says he is losing at least €5,000 every week to keep the property.
Fight
“They won’t give us an official refusal and I can’t figure out why the town hall doesn't want 25 extra jobs here. It is because we are expats,” he asked. He has so far had seven meetings with officials and is ‘determined’ to fight, even enlisting support from a European Council lawyer who has approached Spain’s Minister for Tourism. “I love Spain, I’ve never had any regrets about moving here. Everyone is so welcoming, friendly and we are completely integrated into the community, but this is so unfair,” he added. Alhaurin town hall failed to reply to numerous phone calls and emails. Neither the local police nor Guardia Civil would comment on alleged noise complaints. Opinion Page 6
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