Holidaymakers at the tourism hotspot of Marbella face new fines if caught urinating in the sea under new plans announced to clean up the Costa del Sol.
Fines of up to €750 (£675) could be levied under proposals by Spanish authorities if beach-goers are found guilty of “physiological evacuation in the sea and on the beach”.
The rule is part of a raft of measures which are intended to clean up the resort’s beaches, which are popular with Brits.
They are due to be approved after a public consultation process.
It has generated controversy, Spanish media outlets have reported - with some critics calling urinating in the sea literally a drop in the ocean.
The 20 Minutos newspaper reported: “Urinating in the sea is one of the most widespread customs in our country.”
Meanwhile, the En Boca de Todos TV chat show interviewed bathers who poured scorn on the idea.
One bather interviewed for the programme said: “Let them worry about other things because this is nonsense and idiotic.”
Another member of the public joked: “Who is going to find the culprits, the jellyfish?”
Other rules included in the council decree include a ban on dogs swimming in the sea outside of specific dog-friendly areas.
It comes after the city council in Vigo, Galicia, passed regulations including the same fine for anyone caught spending a penny in the sea.
