GUARDIA BANNED FROM DAYA NUEVA GYMNASIUM

Council staff in Daya Nueva have refused to all officers from the Guardia Civil to use their local gymnasium. They say that as they carry out their exercises and training the officers are damaging the gymnasium floor with their footwear.

A spokesman said that because of the nature of the drills that the officers are required to carry out it is necessary that they wear their boots. As such they are leaving abrasions and black rubber marks on the floor which is extremely difficult to repair and to clean.

As a result of the ban the officers have now had to return to an outdoor site that is littered with broken bottles and stones, at which they have to put up with the cold, heat and rain and which is without toilets for men or women who often have to be at the site for a number of hours.

They nevertheless thanked the Daya Nueva town council for the use of their facilities over the last three months which they described as an invaluable asset.

Following the ban the Unified Association of Civil Guards (AUGC) in Alicante criticised the lack of facilities that the Torrevieja and Vega Baja agents are now having to endure as they are required to carry out their annual refresher courses on operational intervention techniques.

They said that at no time had the Guardia been warned about the damage they were causing by wearing their boots so the ban, which was issued last week by the Councillor for Sport, came as a complete surprise.