THE editor of Cretan newspaper The Ko-Go Khronicles has waded into the row over Stuart Feltham’s injuries.
Lou Duro said he feared attacks on British holidaymakers would increase on the Greek island following the incident which left the 20-year-old burnt.
He said: “If Cretan homes had lawns there would be signs “Dogs and British tourists keep off the grass” – that’s how they are regarded here.
“The local residents, and the business owners, are fed up.”
Mr Duro said British tourists do not add anything to the local economy, and added: “Whatever money they have is spent on booze and maybe a Big Mac.
“Of course, for the most part, we’re speaking only of the youthful British tourist that frequent places like Malia. However, these offenders are giving all the Brits a bad name here.”
Initial reports suggested Stuart exposed himself to a 26-year-old student, Marina Fanouraki, who then doused him with a flaming sambuca – allegations Stuart and his family have denied.
Miss Fanouraki, 26, has been charged with assault.
“Marina has been hailed as a champion throughout the area,” said Mr Duro. “We’re all waiting to see what happens in court, but it is believed she’ll be found innocent of any charges.”
Mr Duro went on to sarcastically call Stuart “a brave soul” for returning home before he gave evidence.
He said Stuart “ran home to mamma before anything could happen.”
Mr Duro continued: “There was some talk about the locals “punishing him” (Stuart) for disrespecting a Cretan lady, but it was just talk.
“However, some prominent locals have been trying to start up a vigilante group for some years to deal with these offenders, since the British and Greek governments have, for whatever reason, been unable to deal with it.
“In fact, in July, a number of locals grabbed a young Brit who was causing trouble and took him to a basement and beat him up. I believe we’re going to be seeing much more of this.”
Figures from The Foreign and Commonwealth Office show 1,405 Britons needed serious assistance from the FCO following arrests, hospitalisations, deaths and reported rapes in Greece between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2008.
Of those 1,405, 230 Brits were arrested, 602 hospitalised and 28 reported they had been raped.
The British Travel Association ABTA released a statement referring to the incident which said: “We are in the holiday business and we want people to have a good time but we don’t condone this kind of behaviour.”
In August last year the British ambassador to Greece, Simon Gass, visited officials on the Greek islands of Zakynthos and Crete to discuss inappropriate behaviour by British tourists.
Mr Gass said: “If you have a resort in which there are very large numbers of bars selling very, very cheap and often low quality alcohol in very large quantities you can’t be that surprised when you get an awful lot of people who end up drunk.”
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