MOBILITY scooters have been banned from the pavements of Benidorm with fines for drivers flouting the rules.

The local council in the popular Spanish resort has brought in a fine of £430 for violators and for anyone going faster than 12mph on the battery powered vehicles.

The fine also applies to Segways, unicycles and hoverboards and the clampdown follows accidents in nearby Alicante.

Benidorm’s most famous mobility scooter user is Madge Harvey in the hit ITV series set in the Spanish resort.

Under the new laws, mobility scooters are also banned in bike lanes – including ones that are on pavements – and also in parks, Spanish paper Informacion reported.

The clampdown was first mooted two years ago and the new regulations have been passed at the seventh attempt.

There will also be fines for people using scooters and Segways without a helmet and a reflective vest or a bell to warn pedestrians while the minimum age to use one will be 16.

Groups of ten Segways riding together have also been banned.

SAUCY SOUVENIR BAN

Local civic chiefs have also announced clampdown on raunchy t-shirts and souvenirs as part of a drive against “uncivic tourism”.

Officials this week seized 500 items which were deemed offensive in raids on five shops on Gerona Street and the Avenue of Europe.

The haul included lighters with images of naked women, sweets shaped like private parts and comedy breasts.

One Benidorm institution that appears to have escaped the clutches of the local authorities is the Tiki Beach bar.

Party-pooping Spanish judges ordered the closure of the ‘controversial’ fun pub last September – devastating thousands of holidaymakers and fun-loving locals.

The hugely-popular watering hole was ordered to close "for good" following years of complaints from bleary-eyed neighbours.

It was a massive favourite with Brits for daytime as well as evening boozing until the courts called time on the bar.

But now the sun-soaked alehouse appears to be back in business after a video posted showed it packed with punters.

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