Joshua Parfitt
A GROUP of Northamptonshire men have ‘lost their jobs’ and ‘face sleeping rough’ after they were arrested following a bar fight on August 30 in Elche.
The six men, all in their 20s, were involved in a brawl with local Spaniards while watching a football match of yet unknown teams.
They were arrested and charged with resisting police arrest and causing Actual Bodily Harm (ABH).
The six now have to report to an Elche courthouse every month as part of their bail conditions.
The friends were due to return on September 1, but the month-and-a-half delay has seen some ‘lose their jobs’ and two ‘give up their homes’.
A relative of one of the men told the Northampton Chronicle & Echo: “We cannot see an end to this nightmare.
“Shortly our boys will be sleeping rough on the streets as they cannot pay the 400 euros per week for a shared flat, or afford food.”
The men, who are not eligible for social security payments, are now getting help from the Red Cross who have offered food but cannot put them up in temporary accommodation.
A lawyer for the men said the ban on leaving Spain is a precautionary measure agreed by the judge, given the seriousness of the facts, and she is trying to end this situation as soon as possible.
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said: “We are providing assistance to six British men following their arrest in Elche and subsequent release on bail and are in contact with their lawyer and the Spanish authorities.”
