OPINION: After an expat nursery was forced to close, we must cut red tape so bureaucracy does not put people off Spain

THE sad fate suffered by the popular Wonderland play school will put many expats off ever starting up a business in Spain.

The incompetence of faceless bureaucrats forced the vibrant San Pedro nursery to close after mistakenly rejecting its licence application.

Owners, Ashlie and Emma strived hard over six years to build a successful business and had great fun while doing it.

This is what makes the news of its premature closure so sad, not only for the owners and staff but also for the kids and their parents.

The bureaucratic nightmare that saw Ashlie and Emma jump through hoops only to drown in unnecessary red tape will deter even the hardest entrepreneur from setting up shop.

Small expat businesses like Wonderland are key community assets and are testimony to years of hard graft.

The fact such worthy enterprises can be crushed by such arbitrary town hall decrees is both disheartening and sickening.