Dear Editor
I have just returned from Vilamoura playing golf, which I would say is the best place in Europe to play. The variety of the courses and quality are outstanding. I have visited Vilamoura for over 10 years playing golf.
This year we personally experienced a robbery from the villa we hired and all our cash was stolen.
We contacted the police and registered the crime, which I think that’s how far this will be investigated.
There were eight men in the villa sleeping when the robbery tooka place. The burglars entered every room and collected all wallets, jeans and hand luggage.
They went through every item for valuables, left items which had no resale value and left through the patio doors (the villa was securely locked and shutters at every window and patio doors).
The managing agent of the next door villa described our break-in to the finest detail, before we told him of our circumstances. He explained that his villa next door had the same type of break-in twice over the last six months. He informed us of how professional these villains operate and we were lucky not to have woken during the break-in.
The stories of the local people and British people now living in the Algarve got worse by the day when they heard of our plight – knife crimes, people held at knife point in the marina and, in one case, gun point when being robbed. We were told that these were immigrants to Portugal and not Portuguese, and I believe that to be true.
But, the whole point of my email is this. The stories get worse, and if told back home people will stop coming to the Algarve which will properly include my party of eight, who, I am sure, will be telling of their experiences at every golf club in our local area.
The authorities need to act now and get to the villains who are praying on holidaymakers and local people to stop the decline of a fine resort.
Steve Owen, UK
