A British holidaymaker filmed himself sprinkling itching powder on towels left on poolside loungers by guests who reserved them before sunrise, reigniting the infamous sunbed wars that divide tourists.
Prank Targets Repeat Offenders
Tom Caunce, 31, from Southport, grew frustrated with early risers bagging the best spots and then disappearing for hours during a family holiday in Majorca. He decided to take matters into his own hands, targeting what he described as "repeat offenders" who reserved prime poolside loungers before heading back to their rooms.
"I think we've all experienced the frustration of trying to get a sunbed on holiday," Tom said. "Many of us have accepted the 6am wake-up call just to have a chance of getting a decent spot. On my last holiday, I decided enough was enough and that it was time for a bit of playful payback."
First Attempt Backfires
Tom spent the first few days observing guests who repeatedly claimed the same loungers each morning before disappearing. His first target was a woman he estimated to be in her late 40s. According to Tom, she and her husband reserved the same beds every day despite spending little time around the pool.
He attempted a quick "walk-by sprinkle" of itching powder onto one of the towels. But the plan backfired almost immediately. "As soon as she arrived at the pool she seemed annoyed," Tom said. "She immediately grabbed the towel from the sunbed and stormed back to her room to change it, while her husband stayed behind to reserve the spot."
Second Attempt Succeeds
Undeterred, Tom returned the next morning with a new plan. After setting his alarm for 6am, he watched from his balcony as holidaymakers headed towards the pool. Within minutes, he spotted another couple making a beeline for the same loungers they had used the previous day.
Tom sneaked downstairs and rubbed itching powder into one of the white hotel towels before waiting for the pair to return. Hours later, at around 1.30pm, the man finally appeared. Tom initially feared the prank had failed after noticing the holidaymaker had brought another towel with him.
But moments later, the scratching began. "After about a minute, I noticed him starting to scratch his legs," Tom said. "After around 10 minutes, he got up and jumped into the pool." The situation escalated when the man later used the towel to dry himself. "He picked up the white towel and used it to dry himself, and the small irritation seemed to turn into a full-body scratch," Tom added. The holidaymaker eventually gave up sunbathing and spent the rest of the afternoon sheltering under an umbrella.
Viral Reaction Divides Social Media
The videos were viewed a combined 864,000 times and attracted more than 13,000 likes, with social media users split over the stunt. One person said: "This is incredibly strange." Another user added: "It's not ok to do this. Remove towels, yes, but this no." The prank took place in Majorca in early June, and the battle over poolside loungers has long divided British holidaymakers, with some tourists setting alarms before dawn to secure the most sought-after spots around hotel pools.
