The popular Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach has asked the UK to send British police next season to deal with drunken and unruly crowds at the Bulgarian holiday haven.
With more than 400,000 tourists descending on the beach every season, the head of the city's hotel association says local officers simply can't control the boozy crowds, reports the Sofia News Agency.
The head of the local hotel group tells the news agency that adding British bobbies to the beat "would be a fairly effective way of collaboration, because it would improve the tourists' security. It would create some respect in our foreign guests who break and demolish things, create conflicts and offend police officers."
With the request in, it remains to be seen if the Bulgarian beach resort will actually get the British police backup. According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, it could be put to good use: "We have had reports of several incidents of British nationals being robbed in the tourist resort of Sunny Beach, where in some cases intimidation and force has been used. Visitors to this area should exercise caution and to refrain from displaying and carrying large amounts of cash and valuables."
Meanwhile tourists themselves are causing trouble, with two arrested in June for drunken hooliganism, according to The (Sofia) Echo.
Photo: Flickr/JürgenBOT