Much-loved Spanish tourism city clarifies new law that bans you from urinating in the sea
Authorities in Spain have moved to clarify what the law actually means after a new measure was brought in that banned urinating in the ocean.
The really unique law - but not the first of its kind by any means - saw people being warned about taking a leak in the open seas.
Put forward as a way to curb anti-social behaviour, the new rules can see tourists and locals alike fined more than £1,200 for spending a penny by using the sea as a urinal.
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First offences would see you fined a hefty €750, which is roughly £635. Do it more than once, and get caught doing so, and you'll face a fine that's double that at €1,500.
That comes in at roughly £1,270, making any holiday to the Spanish location in question - the idyllic setting of Marbella on the Costa del Sol - a lot more expensive.
Local media has criticised the move, with one Spanish TV presenter, Nacho Abad, even moving to say he always goes to the loo in the sea, even taking down his shorts (while under water, thankfully).
"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'.
But Marbella city council has now moved to clarify exactly how the law will be applied in a practical sense - and it kind of all makes sense now, thankfully.
In a statement to the Guardian, a spokesperson for the city council said: "The bylaw does not impose a sanction for peeing in the sea.
"It will not be applicable. The bylaw regulates possible antisocial infractions on the beach, just as any such acts are regulated in any public space such as on the city’s streets."
Other measures involved in the new Marbella decree is a ban on dogs swimming anywhere in the ocean, with new zones set out for the pooches.
In other words, you're absolutely fine if you have a tinkle while swimming.
If you're going to stand there and have a wee in to the ocean from the shore or the likes of a breakwater (such as a port), count yourself fined. And to be honest, if you're doing that you deserve to pay up. Nasty.
The move in Marbella follows on from similar measures by the city council in the Spanish city of Vigo, on the west coast of the country.
Tom Earnshaw