Faliraki “yob” summit postponed
An emergency summit between authorities on the Greek island of Rhodes and British tour operators has been cancelled at the last minute.
The meeting comes after a series of arrests following allegations of lewd behaviour in the resort of Faliraki and the fatal stabbing last week of one holidaymaker by another during a fight in the town.
No explanation for the cancellation has yet been given. However, reports suggest that the meeting will take place within the next few days.
The island has become a haven for drunken young British revellers in recent years and authorities are keen to curb “yobbish” antics that may put other tourists off visiting the island and cause complaints from locals.
A growing number of rapes, sexual attacks and violent incidents are being reported in Faliraki and authorities have been clamping down hard on lewd behaviour.
On Tuesday 18-year-old Brit Jemma-Anne Gunning, from Somerset, was ordered by a court to pay a fine of 2,500 euros (£1,750) or spend the next eight months in jail for indecent exposure after baring her breasts during a club bikini contest.
Matthew Maloney, 20, from south Wales was arrested on the first day of his holiday after “mooning” in the street, when he was spotted by Greek policemen. He avoided a year in a Greek jail after his family agreed to pay his £2,000 fine.
The Mayor of Faliraki is believed to have ordered the clampdown on drunken antics and a ban on all organised bar crawls following the death of Irish teenager Paddy Doran, who was stabbed with a broken bottle last week.
Five holiday reps from England were arrested this week for organising illegal pub crawls, but were later released.
Derek Celis, 24, and 20-year-old Emily Dean, who are both from London, Claire Hullock, 20, from Leeds, Sarah-Louise Sharkey, 33, from Penrith in Cumbria, and 31-year-old Thomas Battista, from Birmingham, were all acquitted in court on Monday. They will all keep their jobs with UK tour operators.
