26 New Los Silos Coastal Posts Stolen in Vandalism
Twenty-six newly installed posts, part of a €400,000 EU-funded project to restrict vehicle access along the Los Silos coast, were stolen in an act of vandalism, prompting a police investigation and plans for replacement.
Last Saturday morning, 26 posts were found missing along the Los Silos coastal road. The City Council called it an "act of vandalism," stating the posts were removed to create parking spaces. Police sources said no cars were parked in the four areas where the posts were taken, and they believe the incident happened on Friday night. These posts were part of a new restriction by the local government, limiting vehicle access to an area often used by caravans and vans for parking. Local Police then taped off the affected areas on Saturday morning.
The pillars, which were meant to block access to the seashore, had only been in place for two weeks. In fact, the installation wasn't even finished. Workers were still installing posts in the final section, near the La Caleta de Interián neighborhood, early on Monday, December 29. The company hired for the work has filed a complaint with the Civil Guard, as the Los Silos City Council had not yet officially accepted the completed project.
Local Police are unsure who removed the posts. They were taken from four different spots along the road. While three of these spots are near parking areas, the fourth leads to a staircase to El Gomero beach, where there's no space to park. Because of this, local police don't believe caravan owners were responsible. The 26 missing pillars were not found anywhere near the coast, according to police.
The posts were installed as part of a €400,000 grant from the Government of the Canary Islands, funded by Next Generation EU funds. In total, 550 pillars were bought to restrict parking along 1.5 kilometers of road that is public land near the sea. After this incident, the City Council plans to replace the missing pillars as soon as possible to finish the project. This nearly half-million-euro aid is also funding other coastal projects by the council.
Los Silos Mayor, Carmen Luz Baso Lorenzo, condemned the vandalism, calling it "uncivil acts that destroy public furniture" and stating they "cannot be tolerated." She stressed that the work hadn't even been officially accepted yet and expressed hope that "it won't happen again."