A British couple has been arrested after allegedly leaving their three young children in a Costa del Sol hotel to go out partying. The pair are said to have been held after the youngest of the children, a six-month-old baby, tested positive for cocaine, according to local media.
The children involved, aged four, two, and six months, have now reportedly been taken into temporary social services care. Sources close to the ongoing investigation have described the situation the youngsters were found in as 'worrying,' noting that the hotel room was in a mess and the eldest child was looking after the others.
Police reportedly made the arrests in Benalmadena, a popular resort on the Costa del Sol. The regional Junta de Andalucia government has taken temporary charge of the children, who have been taken to Malaga's Materno Infantil Hospital for a check-up. The hotel where they were staying has not been named.
A spokesman for Spain's National Police said: 'A British man aged 41 and a woman aged 28 have been held on suspicion of a crime of child abandonment. A specialist branch of the National Police called UFAM, a family and women assistance unit, is involved, and the Junta de Andalucia's social services unit has taken temporary charge of the children.'
Reports say the British pair were held in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police refused to comment on local reports that the baby tested positive for cocaine. A well-placed source said the couple were staying at a 'very large hotel complex' on the Costa del Sol. It is expected they will be held in police custody overnight before being taken to court tomorrow for a first hearing before a judge, though this has not yet been confirmed.
