A STOURPORT family whose villa was broken into while they holidayed in Spain have criticised Spanish police they believed were not interested in helping them.

Eddie and Penny King and their 12-year-old son, Tom, of Cutty Sark Drive, flew out to Spain with some friends from Bridgend in Wales just before Christmas.

They rented a villa in Mijas, on the Costa Del Sol, and in the early hours of Thursday, December 29 were burgled while they slept.

They felt local police were uninterested in helping them after thieves broke into the property and stole all of the children's Christmas presents, electrical goods and credit cards and money, and are warning other holidaymakers to be aware of the difficulties they could face.

Mr King, 43, said: "This was distressing and really ruined our holiday. It is not just the fact that we have been robbed but it is that someone was in the house while we were sleeping. We were concerned that they didn't take much money - we were worried that they might come back."

The holidaymakers went to the Guardia Civil in Fuengirola and Mr King said an officer pointed to a sign on the wall that said if they did not speak fluent Spanish then he would not be able to help.

Mr King said they took a bilingual translator with them, adding: "I made a statement, although much of the content was either ignored and omitted by the officer typing it out.

"I gave him specific details of an attempt to use two of the credit cards stolen in the robbery. This was mentioned in the statement but not acted upon."

He went on: "The police just didn't want to know - that was quite shocking. They didn't interview anybody about it, they didn't come to the house and they haven't contacted us since.

"After the burglary, we went to the town hall to see if we could speak to the mayor but it was closed. We also subsequently found out from the caretaker that another three properties close by were burgled the same night.

"Following further conversations with locals and friends living in the area, we were alarmed to find out such incidents are commonplace and, generally speaking, the police do not seem to follow these incidents up.

"I can imagine that if tourists without easy access to translators were to be put in the same position the ordeal would be far worse."

A spokesman for the British Embassy in London said that anyone who was a victim of crime abroad should contact the nearest British Consulate, as well as the police, who should be able to offer advice.

He advised the King family to write to the British Consulate in Malaga as well as the Spanish Embassy in London with their complaint. For further travel advice abroad, tourists should visit www.ukinspain.com

No-one from the Spanish Embassy or Spanish Tourism Office in London was able to comment.