Yesterday saw the heavy machinery for shifting sand operating in La Herradura and Almuñécar: Peña Parda and Playa Velilla.

As for the affected area in Velilla (between the breakwater and Chiringuito La Barca, the new sand has been brought from Playa Puerta del Mar, next to the river mouth.

A large fleet of lorries was put into motion in the early hours of the morning, trucking sand into both location whilst JCB’s levelled the sand out.

Obviously, whilst all this was going on, the area had to be cordoned off to members of the public – flattened bathers are bad for tourism.

The Councillor for the Environment, Luis Aragón, says that they have been on at the Central Government to sort it out since November, but like Motril and Salobreña, a civil servant thought that it could wait until July had already started – off with his pods!

The said councillor promised gathered disgruntled locals that if, come next summer, Costas hadn’t got the beaches ship shape by the 15th of June, the Town Hall would do it themselves and pass the bill on to Madrid.

Having received such a promise, they removed the noose and got him down from the chair.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalusia)