Bars, restaurants and shops in Almuñécar are livid about the 2-hour power cut on Easter Thursday, just when the town was packed with tourists.

Such was the economic blow to the town’s tourist industry that the Mayor, Trinidad Herrera, expressed her “indignation” because it is already “a certainty that the town is destined to suffer power cuts” whenever its seasonal population rises.

Although the blackout caught the Easter processions out along the streets, the darkness probably added a little more solemnity to the already somber Procession del Silencio.

However, the hostelry sector, which had almost 100% occupation that day, was far from ‘silent,’ as could be expected.

The municipal technical services are evaluating what happened and Sevillana is going to receive a stiff, official letter of complaint from the Town Hall.

“What happened was very serious and I am not willing to let anybody off lightly,” warned the Mayor menacingly. She also assured the hostelry sector; the pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, that they have her full backing over any damages claims made – as long as they are not made against the Town Hall, obviously.

Editorial comment: During the building boom years, town halls handed out building licences like confetti and with glee in a build, build, build frenzy without the most minimum of concern for infrastructure overload; i.e., power and water supply. Whole housing areas blossomed and were connected up to the existing electricity resources.

And then they wonder why – when all those extra dwellings are filled with people over peak holiday periods – they suffer power cuts.