The increasing number of violent assaults in Benidorm has set back attempts by the Spanish resort to attract a more upmarket clientele.

This week a British holidaymaker was paralysed and his friend left unconscious after a fight outside a nightclub in the so-called British quarter.

James Edward and Mark Bell, both 20, were found unconscious following the street brawl with a 20-strong gang in the early hours of the morning. Mr Edward was this week in intensive care at the Alicante General Hospital and paralysed from the neck down following a heavy blow to his back.
In July Graham Heggie, a 27-year-old Scottish holidaymaker, died in the town after a brawl just yards from the apartment in which he was staying. Earlier in the year, Alex Prosser, 73, another British visitor, suffered a fractured skull after being mugged in Benidorm for just £28.

The resort's tourism authorities had hoped that this sort of violence was a thing of the past. In March 2004 they announced that the image of Benidorm as a haven for British lager louts was about to change. Up to 1.5 million Britons holiday in the town each year, most of them taking packages or making their own way on no-frills flights and staying in cheap hotels.

Roc Gregori, Benidorm's tourism manager, hoped to lure a different type of traveller by focusing on the wide range of attractions in the area, such as Terra Natura, a theme park that explores the natural world, two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses, and the concerts that are held in Benidorm's football stadium. It was also hoped that the construction of several luxury hotels -including Europe's tallest, the 600ft Gran Hotel Bali and the five-star Westin and Sheraton properties - would help to broaden Benidorm's appeal.

In addition to violent attacks, recent court cases have also put the resort in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Just last week a judge ruled that a convicted rapist from Cheshunt, Essex, should be extradited to Spain in connection with the brutal murder of a 35-year-old man and the attempted murder of the man's elderly mother 10 years ago at their home in Benidorm. In May, two men were jailed for the kidnap and murder of a British couple in Benidorm in 2002.

A spokeswoman for the tourist office said it could not verify that all these incidents took place in tourist areas of Benidorm. It is still continuing to try to promote the town as a safe, high-quality destination for holidaymakers.