La Canada Thefts

Just a note of warning to anyone visiting La Canada shopping centre!

We stopped there on our way from Malaga airport to get some shopping and returned to our car to find all our suitcases and possessions stolen all of which were in the boot. We have since found out it is a daily occurrence. When we arrived the place was crawling with police (which should have given us a clue) we were only in the shopping centre about half an hour and when we came out the police were still in the centre but our bags had gone. The security at the shopping centre were not interested and the police not much better. My advice would be if you are going to La Canada do so in an empty car with the boot cover taken off. We were told our mistake was when we arrived we took a bag from the car and put it in the boot and that we were probable being watched by the thieves as we were in a hired car. Please be warned as this was not a good experience.

Dear All,

this is the place where the gypsies beg until they see your purse and then attack - beware

Regards

Norman

Friends who were with us unfortunately had their passports stolen with their cases and had to go to the British Consulate in Malaga to have them renewed (87 euro a time!) and were told they renew 20 to 30 passports a day because of crime.

Unfortunately that whole area is terrible at the moment for thefts and burglaries.  Saying that, it's been like that for a long time.

I remember about two years ago Susan was sat in McDonalds in Puerto Banus with one of our daughters at 2pm.  She had her bag on her lap....next thing she knew the bag had been taken from her lap and she hadn't even noticed.

EVERYONE has to have their wits about them all the time.  Unemployment is so high here and many people were employed without contracts, now finding themselves with no jobs and no unemployment benefit.  Out of desperation they go and steal anything they can.

In fact, now that we are approaching Christmas things tend to get even worse, so even more reason to be extra careful.

Justin

I never go to La Cañada anymore, I feel a bit vulnerable around the car park and I have really gone off the place.

Susan

I too had a bag stolen in Puerto Banus a couple of years ago.  I deliberately sat at the outside of the table and put my bag on the chair on the inside but someone came and sat at the table behind me and was able to reach over and take it without me noticing.

We have also had a couple of purses stolen out of bags in the Aldi store in our urb at Playa Golf.  You do need to be really careful!