Frigiliana/Nerja received the unwelcome attention of the light-fingered during the village multicultural fiestas, with cortijos and chalets being targeted.

The three break-ins were timed to coincide with the commencement of the fiestas, when most homeowners would be out.

Those property owners who have burglar alarms and CCTV installed received alarming footage on their mobile phones.

They quickly phoned the Guardia Civil in Frigiliana, with officers arriving within minutes and came across several suspicious individuals loitering around. They also found forced doors, gates and windows.

In fact, one officer fired into the air to stop the burglars in their tracks but they managed to get away in a car before they could be arrested.

Fortunately, even in the dwellings where they had managed to force an entry, they had not found cash and jewellery, which is what they were after.

The dwellings affected are in the upper end of Río Seco, in an area known as La Morea.

There have been other instances in Torrox, as well as Nerja and Frigiliana. Most of which have been unoccupied dwellings, except in the case of one where the female owner was at home, who they came across and literally kicked down the stairs.

Such concern is there in the area that homeowners have formed a Whatsapp group and most members have installed motion and heat sensors on their properties, which unfortunately, has not dissuaded thieves. In fact, the thieves target the cameras and sensors in order to destroy them.

There have been three arrests, however, all of whom are foreign, middle-aged, males.

(News: Frigiliana/Nerja, Axarquia, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)