British Tourists in Greece Told to Carry Cash

THE TELEGRAPH: Holidaymakers must have enough cash to cover all their costs and any potential emergencies, George Osborne warns

British tourists going on holiday to Greece have been told by the Government to travel with thousands of pounds worth of euros in cash, despite the risk of them not being insured if they get robbed.

With 150,000 UK holiday makers travelling to Greece every week, George Osborne said that holidaymakers must have enough cash to cover all their costs and any potential emergencies.

However, insurers warned that most families will only be covered for a maximum of £200 if they are robbed while on holiday.

It came as the Government attempted to contact thousands of expat pensioners living in Greece to encourage them to move their savings into British banks as the country teeters on the brink of economic collapse. » | Peter Dominiczak, and Matthew Holehouse | Monday, June 29, 2015

British Tourist Faces Year in Dubai Jail after Calling Prophet Muhammad a 'Terrorist' in Row with Shopkeeper
MAIL ONLINE: A British tourist called the Islamic prophet Muhammad a terrorist in a heated row with an electronics salesman in a Dubai shopping mall, a court heard yesterday.

Andrew Graham, 40, faces spending a year in a Dubai jail if he is convicted of insulting Islam.

The holidaymaker was wandering through the Mall of the Emirates when he got into an argument with Hassan Habeeb, a 21-year-old salesman from Pakistan.

During the row, Graham allegedly said that ‘Muslims in Pakistan are not normal because they kill each other and kill people outside Pakistan’.

Mr Habeeb tried to tell the Briton that Muslims are ‘peaceful people and are all brothers who help each other’.

In a written statement produced before the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours yesterday, the Pakistani salesman said: ‘He laughed and said that I’m crazy and that prophet Muhammad was not a peaceful man but he is a terrorist.’

Mr Habeeb then became angry and tried to punch Graham, only for a customer to intervene, it was said.

The tourist was then taken to a police station and charged with swearing in public and insulting Islam.

Yesterday Graham appeared in court wearing shorts and was ordered to change into trousers by the judge on the grounds of decency.

Once in the appropriate attire, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. » | Arthur Martin | Wednesday, May 18, 2011

British Tenerife Tourist Beheaded by 'Prophet of God' Attacker
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A British woman has been beheaded in front of horrified tourists in a supermarket on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife, allegedly by a man who claimed he was a 'Prophet of God'.


The woman, who was described as being in her 60s, was in a shop in the town of Arona, about 10 miles from the popular beach resort of Los Christianos [sic], when she was stabbed and then decapitated.

According to witnesses, the attacker, who is thought to be a homeless man of Bulgarian origin, entered the store, grabbed a knife and launched a frenzied and unprovoked assault.

The attacker, who apparently had a history of violent behaviour, then decapitated her before leaving the store carrying her head. Today Spanish newspapers said police had arrested a 28-year-old man named locally as "Deyan Valentinov D", declining to give his full surname.

It was also claimed that he had spent time in a psychiatric hospital and thought he was a "Prophet of God". Local news website site CanariasalDia.com quoted the local mayor, José Reverón, as saying that the man, who lived in a semi-derelict house, had shouted: "God is on Earth".

Mr Reverón added that the attacker was known to local police for his often threatening behaviour in the street, and had once knocked a man's teeth out, raising questions as to why he had not been kept him under closer supervision. » | Andy Bloxham, and Martin Evans | Saturday, May 14, 2011

Related »


The ‘Prophet of God’ Was Known to Be Violent »

NEWS IN THE SUN: Woman Decapitated in Los Cristianos »

EL PAÍS: Un hombre decapita a una mujer en una tienda en Tenerife: El presunto agresor, con antecedentes, entró en el establecimiento y asesinó a la mujer, con la que no consta que tuviera relación » | Pedro Murillo | TENERIFE | Viernes, 13 de mayo 2011

Spain: British Woman Beheaded in Front of Tourists on Spanish Holiday Island Tenerife
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A British woman has been beheaded in front of horrified tourists in a supermarket on the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife.


The woman, who was described as being in her 60s, was in shop in the town of Arona, about 10 miles from the popular beach resort of Los Christianos [sic], when she was brutally stabbed to [death] and then decapitated.

According to witnesses, the attacker, who is thought to be a homeless man of Bulgarian origin, entered the store, grabbed a knife and launched a frenzied and unprovoked attack on the woman.

He then decapitated her before leaving the store carrying her head.

Holidaymakers and locals on the Spanish island described their complete shock and horror after witnessing the scene, which took place at around 10.30am local time (9.30am GMT) on Friday.

British journalist Colin Kirby, 50, who lives in Tenerife, was walking past the store when he saw the attacker emerging. » | Andy Bloxham, and Martin Evans | Friday, May 13, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: British woman beheaded in Tenerife supermarket: Man ran into supermarket on Spanish island, grabbed knife, killed woman then rushed out carrying head » | Giles Tremlett in Madrid and Karen McVeigh | Friday, May 13, 2011

Second Post Mortem into Dubai Death of British Tourist in Custody
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Police in Dubai have ordered a second post mortem into the death in custody of a British man whose relatives say he was beaten to death.

Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Bin Tamim, head of Dubai Police, said police doctors were examining the body of Lee Bradley Brown, 39, who was on holiday at the Burj al-Arab Hotel in the city when he was arrested for threatening a Nepalese housekeeper.

The Dubai authorities repeated denials that Mr Brown had been "tortured". A previous post mortem, conducted by the prosecutor's department, said he had choked on his own vomit, and that there were traces of cannabis in his system.

Lt Gen Khalfan said: "We do not doubt the first report but we just want to confirm it. Two doctors started examining the body on Saturday and we will reveal the results soon. » | Richard Spencer, Dubai | Sunday, April 17, 2011

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Bid to Move British Inmates from Bur Dubai Station after Tourist Death Claim
THE OBSERVER: Four British prisoners 'traumatised' in Dubai police station where it is claimed Lee Bradley Brown was beaten to death

Foreign Office officials were attempting last night to move four British prisoners out of a notorious Dubai police station in the wake of claims that a British tourist was beaten to death there.

Discussions continue with the Dubai authorities about moving the prisoners to another jail. They are said to be traumatised after allegations that Lee Bradley Brown died after being beaten up by up to six police officers and dragged from his cell in the Bur Dubai station.

British embassy staff visited the police station yesterday to reinterview the British inmates. There are fears that they may be at risk of reprisals following reports that they blew the whistle on the alleged beating.

Negotiations are focusing on a possible transfer to the new Dubai Central Prison, in the middle of al-Aweer desert, which is the emirate's largest jail with room for 4,000 inmates.

Radha Stirling, of the Detained In Dubai charity, said talks were continuing about moving the Britons to a "safer place" while a Foreign Office spokesman confirmed they had "made a number of requests" to the Dubai authorities. Among them is the need for a "fair and proper" investigation into the death of Brown, 39, from Ilford, Essex. Dubai police maintain Brown's body had no signs of bruising or evidence of assault when he died last Monday. They claim he suffocated on his vomit in his cell. » | Mark Townsend | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Related here and here

Dubai Death Briton Lee Brown 'Choked on Vomit'
BBC: A British tourist died in police custody in Dubai after choking on his own vomit, officials have said.

Lee Brown, 39, of east London, was held at the luxury Burj Al Arab hotel after being accused of physically and verbally abusing a female staff member.

The UK has called for an inquiry amid reports he was assaulted by officers.

But the claim was denied by an unnamed police official quoted by local media and Dubai's attorney general said the force followed the "highest standards".

Dubai attorney general Issam Al Humaidan said a post-mortem examination concluded Mr Brown's death was caused by suffocation after vomit leaked into his respiratory tract.

In a statement he expressed condolences to Mr Brown's family and said that police in the Gulf emirate dealt with prisoners with respect and were "governed by the highest standards to preserve human rights". » | Thursday, April 14, 2011

Related »

Briton 'Beaten to Death' in a Dubai Police Cell after Being Arrested for Swearing
MAIL ONLINE: 'The guards tried to hush it up and pretend nothing had happened’

A British tourist was beaten to death by officers in a Dubai police station after being arrested for swearing, it was claimed yesterday.

Lee Bradley Brown, 39, was on holiday at a £1,000-a-night hotel in the Arab state when he was thrown into a filthy cell.

Police sources say he was ‘badly beaten up’ by a group of police officers, leaving him unconscious on the floor.

Inmates told how they watched officers bundle him into a body-bag and drag him out of the building.

During Mr Brown’s six days in Bur Dubai police station, guards refused to give him enough food and water and did not let him see a lawyer, it is alleged.

His sister learned about the attack when she received a phone call from an inmate on Sunday, claiming her brother had been beaten.

The prisoner found her phone number on a photocopy of her brother’s passport which had been left behind in the cell.

She contacted the British Embassy in Dubai, and on Monday an official was sent to visit Mr Brown at the police station.

But the official was turned away by an officer who claimed Mr Brown did not want to see him and had ‘declined consular assistance’. » | Arthur Martin, Nick McDermott and and Rebecca Evans | Thursday, April 14, 2011

British Tourists Warned Over India Terror Plot
SKY NEWS: British tourists travelling to India have been warned to be on their guard amid reports of a terrorist plot against Westerners.

Pakistani militants are planning a wave of strikes at tourist sites including Delhi, Mumbai and Goa in the south, according to reports.

The Foreign Office updated its travel advice - advising travellers to be extra vigilant on days of national significance including Diwali on October 17.

The level of threat remains unchanged at "high".

The warning follows news that Israel has warned its citizens to avoid the country completely.

According to Israeli media - including the country's Channel Two - intelligence sources believe al Qaeda operatives are planning to target Western and Jewish tourists.

The plots are said to be styled on the attacks in Mumbai last November when 10 gunmen went on the rampage.

Mumbai's anti-terrorism force said they had been liaising with Israel over the intelligence. >>> | Friday, September 18, 2009