You wonder if the judicial system is not working when somebody can get arrested over a dozen times for the same offence and still be out walking the streets.

The Policía Nacional arrested a 45-year-old man in Granada for the 23rd time, mostly for breaking into parking meters.

He was caught red-handed early Monday morning carrying the coin box from one that he had just allegedly done over in the centre of the city. He also had four mobile phones on him.

These machines have systems that send out an alarm to the blue-zone control centre, which alerted in turn the Policía Nacional.

A patrol located the parking meter and saw that the coin box was missing and immediately started scouring the area.

They soon came across the suspect with the stolen object in his hands. Inside were 19 euros in coins, together with four mobile phones. He was identified, arrested and taken to the police station.

The last time that he was arrested was in January when he was actually caught in the act of forcing a parking meter at half three in the morning, the same time as at this latest incident. He was caught with a mini-crowbar and a large screw driver.