British tourist has reported a man offering donkey rides in Mijas to the Guardia Civil. According to the tourist, the donkey-taxi man laid into him on the ground.

The tourist is a member of the Facebook page, Free Mijas Donkeys & Horses, and had been recording the donkey-taxi with his mobile phone. The Facebook page is run by a retired Frenchwoman, Anne Blitz, who used to be a functionary working for the EU but now lives in Mijas.

She acted as the dented British tourist’s interpreter before the Guardia Civil, explaining that he had been recording the donkeys because their owner had not been observing regulations imposed by the Mijas Town Hall concerning such animals used as tourist taxis.

There is a time limit that these animals can be exposed to the summer heat out on the streets. Consequently, the tourist had called the Policía Local several times to complain about this, but to no avail, he claims, which is why he started recording the man and his donkey taxi.

However, the owner of the donkey saw that the foreigner was recording him and walked over and allegedly knocked him to the ground and whilst he was down there, he launched a blow to the victim’s face.

The Town Hall, suitably horrified, says that they are analysing the situation and is pressuring the Guardia Civil to hurry up its investigation.

The municipal regulations stipulate that when there is a red or orange alert in effect, then burro taxis and horse-drawn buggies cannot operate and if there is a yellow alert on, they cannot provide a service between 14.00h and 18.00h; i.e., the hottest part of the day.

(News: Mijas, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)