A British couple have been arrested over an alleged attempted kidnapping on a busy street in a Spanish holiday island.
The pair allegedly tried to force a 64-year-old Spanish woman into their car as she walked down the road in broad daylight in Palma, Majorca.
The woman was hospitalised after the attempted kidnapping in the Son Ferriol neighbourhood at around 1pm on Sunday.
The man, believed to be in his early 40s, got out of his vehicle in a street called Maria Ana Bonafe and approached the woman before allegedly trying to bundle her into their car.
The victim began to struggle and ended up throwing herself on the ground and screaming for help.
Witnesses including the woman’s husband rushed to her aid and prevented the alleged kidnap attempt.
The British couple were arrested near the scene around an hour later.
The daughter of the woman targeted told local newspaper Cronica Balear: ‘She was waiting for me because we were going to see my niece in a competition.
The woman was hospitalised after the attempted kidnapping which took place in the Son Ferriol neighbourhood at around 1pm on Sunday
‘A white car pulled up alongside her and the driver, who was wearing pyjamas, and started trying to force her into the vehicle while shouting aggressively, “I’m telling you to get in”.’
She added: ‘I was surprised at first not to see mum when I arrived because she’s always waiting for me at the same spot.
‘When I saw such a large crowd gathered, I got out of the car and saw my mother lying on the ground.
‘She suffered bruises all over her body, but her neck is hurting the most.’
A spokesman for the National Police in Majorca said today: ‘I can confirm a British couple have been arrested and are currently being held in custody over an incident that occurred around 1pm yesterday in the Palma neighbourhood of Son Ferriol.
‘They are middle-aged, aged between 40 and 45.
‘The woman targeted is in her early sixties. She was taken to hospital but had only minor injuries and was discharged shortly afterwards.
‘We are still investigating what happened and hope to be in a position to release more information later.’
A well-placed source added: ‘The incident is a very bizarre one to say the least.’
One local report suggested the British couple could have picked on the woman targeted because they were intending to rob her and thought that because of her age she could be an easy victim.
The incident is being probed by a police unit specialising in combatting robbery and muggings.
It comes weeks after two British tourists were arrested over a fake Benidorm kidnapping plot where they demanded a ransom of £725.
The pair sent a relative a bogus video purportedly showing one of the suspects threatening to kill his ‘blood-covered’ friend with a knife.
Police in Costa Blanca suspended all their other investigations and called in back-up from a specialist anti-hostage unit based in Madrid after a tip-off from Interpol via UK police.
They were preparing for a raid on the hotel where they narrowed down the alleged victim to.
But they called off the operation when they saw the alleged victim strolling out of the establishment in a ‘relaxed and amicable way’ with his supposed captor.
The Brits, aged 51 and 37, demanded a ransom of just £725 before they were arrested for simulating a crime and fraud.
They could face prison time and a large fine for paralysing police activity in the region.
