JUST like their sunlounger-hogging cousins, the beach blaggers start early in their bid to grab as much precious sand as possible.
With multiple guy ropes and pulleys stretched across the sands, they construct complicated cabanas and tents that occupy nearly EIGHT times more space than a standard umbrella while providing no extra shade.
It’s been an increasing problem on busy Mediterranean beaches but now the selfish beach-dwellers with their sand-stealing contraptions are beginning to invade UK shores.
As millions of us escape to the UK’s gorgeous beaches to cool off in the heatwaves, we’re increasingly having to fight for every square inch of sand stolen by these modern monstrosities.
A traditional beach umbrella takes up around 0.5sq metres of sand -whereas the new modern beach cabanas can take anything from four to nine square metres of prime shoreline.
That’s the equivalent of a small studio apartment!
Once set up, the hoggers then begin emptying multiple beach buggies of chairs, tables and more to furnish their tented encampments.
And what’s even more irritating, once set up they promptly disappear – for HOURS – leaving everyone else on the beach scrabbling for a little bit of space or helplessly trying to navigate their way through the ropes and chains.
Just last month I watched a family set up not one but THREE different huge marquees on the sands of Fuengirola complete with a huge barbecue and full dining table and chairs.
But as they start to lay claim to British beaches, authorities across the Mediterranean and beyond are beginning to fight back against the sand grabbers with confiscations, strict bans and heavy fines.
On Spain’s Costa Blanca, municipal wardens and local police are doing early morning sweeps. Anyone who plants a tent, cabana or even an umbrella before 9.30am to reserve a spot – or leaves their gear unattended for more than three hours – has their kit confiscated by council trucks.
Those wanting to reclaim their possessions must go to a warehouse – after paying a €250 (£210) fine!
And with wildfires raging across Europe, these tented constructions caught the attention of concerned authorities in Sardinia.
When the forest of pop-up structures and guy ropes physically blocked beachgoers from evacuating safely from a wildfire, authorities moved swiftly to ban them.
And Greece has now expanded its ‘untouched beaches’ protection law, designating more than 250 beaches where pop up structures and commercial sunbeds are banned to give the public back their sand.
And even Australia’s Prime Minister has weighed in on the subject after social media was flooded with videos of popular Gold Coast and Sydney beaches completely swallowed by rows of interlocking 2metre x 2metre ‘Cool Cabanas’.
Anthony Albanese declared that using cabanas to reserve spots was ‘not on’ adding: “One of the great things about Australia is that everyone owns the beach. It’s a place where every Australian is equal. It’s a breach of that principle, really, to think that you can reserve a little spot as just yours.”
Of course, as temperatures soar and with heatwaves getting ever more common, we all still do need to make sure we have ample shade on the beach.
And no doubt, for young children and babies it is essential their delicate skin is protected. No one is arguing against small tents for children to escape the worst of the sun’s rays.
They can be picked up online and in shops from as little as £6.
Absolutely fine by me. Babies, of course, take up very little space.
But as our beaches become ever more crowded in the peak summer months, those of us who don’t fancy paying a fortune to rent a lounger for £50plus a day need other options.
What’s wrong with a towel and beach umbrella with a good, hardy base that either is filled with sand or screws into the ground to avoid being blown away in the wind.
With a basic umbrella and a low-rise beach chair plus a towel for stretching out, there’s no need to take up so much space.
It’s time UK councils took a leaf out of Europe’s book and kicked the sand-grabbers off our shores for good!