Spanish city loved by Brits will now fine you up to £1,200 for urinating in the sea

A rather bizarre new law is set to fine UK tourists in Spain more than £1,200 for a simple act that millions have done in their lifetime: urinating in the sea.

Classed as a form of anti-social behaviour, the new measure will look to crack down on people using the ocean as their personal cubicle.

Enforced across one of Spain's most popular city destinations, it's a move that could impact millions of tourists looking to enjoy a spell in the sun.

Initial fines for the act start at €750, which is roughly £635.

And if you do the deed more than once, and are caught, expect it to double with a €1,500 (£1,270) bill for repeat offending.

But the entire scheme has been laughed at by commentators in Spain, with one TV presenter himself admitting to taking a tinkle in the sea.

Nacho Abad, a Spanish TV presenter, even joked telling audiences to pull their swimwear down first before doing the deed.

Fines of up to €1,500 (£1,270) are now on the cards (Getty Stock Images)

"I recommend doing it that way, otherwise your swimsuit smells terrible," he said.

And one person being interviewed laughed it off, saying: "Who is going to realise someone is taking a leak, the jellyfish?"

Another said: "Let them worry about other things because this is nonsense and idiotic."

The 20 Minutos newspaper also stated that 'urinating in the sea is one of the most widespread customs in our country'.

The location targeted by the new law is the Spanish city of Marbella, which lies in the heart of the country's Costa del Sol.

It follows in the footsteps of a similar measure approved by the city council in Vigo, Galicia, where spending a penny saw you having to pay a lot more than that in a fine.

Brits love Marbella (Getty Stock Images)

Marbella council passed the rule as part of a new decree that politicians gave the nod to.

The decree involved other measures too, including a ban on dogs swimming in the sea. It isn't a total ban, with dog-friendly areas still existing.

Other coastal locations in Spain with significant rules that tourists could fall foul of includes Benidorm, where there is a ban on building large sandcastles.

Those who break it can expect to pay €150, which is roughly £130.

There is also a particular swimming ban for heading to Benidorm; you could be fined £1,000 for falling foul of the law that spans the entire Costa Blanca, which includes Alicante, Elche, Javea, Altea, Calpe, and Denia.

Basically, don't swim in the sea at night or before 7am.