Costa Blanca
Guardamar halts the renewal of their computer equipment

The contract for the replacement of the computer equipment in every municipal office has been placed on hold by the Guardamar del Segura City Council. The IT assistant who wrote the technical specifications reported that “it is considered appropriate to review and modify, where appropriate, the content of the technical specifications, in order to adapt the definition of the requirements that the equipment must meet to the current reality of the market.” This report is where the origin of the issue lies.
The agreement was for the rental of CPUs, laptops, monitors, multifunction machines, printers, and a plotter, with a purchase option of 347,870.87 euros. By doing this, the municipal technical park will be revitalised and the upkeep of the equipment that belongs to the city will be put out to bid.
The contract was split into three lots in order to do this. The first one costs 112,560 euros and comes with a lease and the opportunity to purchase five cutting-edge desktop computers, 40 more, 20 laptops, 35 monitors, and 10 desktop scanners. Office software licenses and operating systems must be installed on these PCs. Furthermore, if there are any potential computer issues during the course of the four-year contract, the replacement of faulty equipment, operating system repair, office tool supply, and faulty part supply will all be covered.
This includes on-site support with a 24-hour response time limit. Repairs and replacement parts shall be provided at no cost to the City Council in the case of a hardware malfunction. If the equipment needs to be transferred for repair and this takes more than twenty-four hours, the winning bidder will supply replacement equipment until the equipment is fixed. All computer equipment will be subject to an annual thorough review service.
The lease with the option to purchase seven large multifunction printers and copier equipment, four more medium-sized ones, four black and white printers, four colour printers, and a plotter are included in lot two, with a maximum price of 110,764.53 euros. The cost of 59,325.24 euros also covers maintenance for the aforementioned equipment. Each equipment will have at least three inspections annually as part of the contracted maintenance service. The necessary components and repairs will be provided at no cost to the City Council in the case of a malfunction.
If the equipment needs to be transferred for repair and this takes more than twenty-four hours, the bidder will supply another piece of equipment until the equipment is fixed. All multifunction printers and devices will be subject to an annual thorough review service. Since printing would be in black and white by default, it must be possible to limit the usage of colour printing in all equipment (multifunction machines and printers). In order to view the page counters, consumable level, and machine status, a remote monitoring system must be set up at the headquarters or at a designated headquarters and on one or more computers of the Guardamar City Council or municipal offices.
Lot 3’s budget of 65,251.11 covers the cost-per-copy maintenance of 24 municipal multifunction and printing machines, as specified in the Technical Specifications. Replacement of consumables (toners, etc.), spare parts, and on-site technical assistance with a 24-hour response time are all included in the cost-per-copy machine maintenance service. Each equipment will have at least three inspections annually as part of the contracted maintenance service.
Repairs and replacement parts shall be provided at no cost to the City Council in the event of a malfunction. The bidder will supply another piece of equipment until the equipment is fixed if the repair calls for transportation and it takes more than twenty-four hours. All multifunction printers and devices will be subject to an annual thorough review service.
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Costa Blanca
Sticky Vicky’s daughter quits mum’s iconic Benidorm show

Adhesive the stage act has been sensationally abandoned by Vicky’s daughter, who has followed in her late mother’s footsteps, thereby leaving behind her family’s Benidorm legacy.
The unexpected decision was made after María Gadea Aragón assumed responsibility for the adult-themed magic performances following the passing of her mother, Victoria María Aragón Gadea, in 2023 at the age of 80.
María, who had been employing her mother’s stage identity in the well-known Spanish resort, has now discontinued her performances after a decade on stage.
María performed frequently at venues including the Palladium, Zodiaco, and Rockerfellers, as well as Benidorm which is a popular destination for British expatriates and vacationers.
Des Bellamy-Wright, an employee at the Benidorm Palladium, verified that María is no longer employed in the lively Spanish city. Des stated, “Sticky Vicky is no longer operational in Benidorm.” The ‘Carmen Snake – Sticky Show’ is a similarly entertaining program that is broadcast every night at 12:45 a.m. “
The official reason for Maria’s retirement was not disclosed, and her final performance was in November 2024.
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Costa Blanca
Elche’s H&M shop closing

The Swedish retail chain H&M announced in 2024 that it would be reducing the number of stores and employment it has in Spain due to “organisational, productive, and economic” reasons. Around 50 layoffs were the result of the closure of stores in the L’Aljub retail centres in Elche, Ociopía in Orihuela, and Habaneras in Torrevieja, which had consequences for the province of Alicante.
Additionally, these were the sole instances in the Valencian Community that were impacted. The Torrevieja store was the first to shut its doors in May 2024 since that time. The Orihuela store was subsequently closed on September 14th of the same year. Currently, the Elche store has shuttered its doors. The facility was closed to the public on March 14th, following its final day of operation on March 11th. It will be entirely shut down on March 22nd. Approximately 20 employees are being laid off at this Elche store. It is the final establishment in the province of Alicante that will not reopen, and the circumstances of the dismissal were negotiated in October. The employees have departed the company with an agreement as a result of these negotiations, according to Yolanda de la Casa, the general secretary of the CCOO Services Federation in Alicante.
The dismissal terms that were established following the October negotiations were 45 days until 2012 and 33 days until the present. A gratuity of 3,500 euros was granted for the first five years, 4,000 euros for the next ten years, and a maximum of 4,500 euros for the subsequent years.
Furthermore, three relocations have occurred among the 50 individuals who were laid off in the province, spanning Elche, Orihuela, and Torrevieja. Lely Fernández of UGT l’Alacantí-La Marina informed this newspaper that these were part-time employees from the Habaneras shopping centre in Torrevieja who were transferred to the La Zenia shopping centre, which continues to operate and is accessible.
H&M initiated 2024 by announcing the closure of 28 stores and approximately 588 collective redundancies. The figure was reduced to 521 reductions in a subsequent revision.
The Torrevieja store closed its doors to the public on May 17th, 2024, and the lease expired on May 24th, never to be reopened. Nevertheless, numerous employees at this establishment were granted the opportunity to relocate to other nearby stores that were still operational. In September 2024, Ociopía followed suit, and Elche followed suit in March 2025.
The H&M group operates over 100 stores and employs nearly 4,000 individuals in the country. This decision was made by the Scandinavian company in order to “adapt and perfect” its stores in a “changing” shopping environment for its consumers. Additionally, Spain would be responsible for 17% of the brand’s global closures, as indicated by the data that the company disclosed months ago when it presented its 2023 financial year.
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Costa Blanca
Man stole fire extinguishers to sell as scrap metal

A 20-year-old male is currently under investigation by the Guardia Civil for the purported theft of ten fire extinguishers. The fire extinguishers were discovered by Seprona officers during an inspection of a scrap metal establishment in Torrevieja. The store manager and the criminal are both the subject of an investigation.
The fire extinguishers, which were in near-new condition and completely charged, were discovered by the Servicio de Protección a la Naturaleza (Seprona) officers during the inspection. The investigation was initiated due to the fact that this material is “uncommon” in this form of business, as explained by sources from the Armed Forces.
Upon discovering the fire extinguishers, the officers enquired about the scrapyard manager’s documentation regarding the extinguishers’ arrival. The manager responded that he did not possess any proof of ownership. Additionally, he disclosed that a woman and her son had abandoned them there without his permission.
The company responsible for maintaining the fire extinguishers was identified by Seprona officers after they analysed the evidence and proof acquired. This verified that the extinguishers were located in a building in Torrevieja. The missing equipment was reported by the property manager of this community of proprietors shortly thereafter.
Fire extinguishers were recovered
Officers were permitted to confiscate the fire extinguishers and transport them to the Torrevieja Civil Guard barracks as a result of the formal complaint. Upon verification of their origin, they were returned to their legitimate owners.
The individuals implicated have been identified as a result of the operation. The 20-year-old man who is supposed to have stolen the fire extinguishers is being investigated for theft, while the 23-year-old proprietor of the scrap yard is being investigated for receiving stolen goods.
The Guardia Civil emphasises the necessity of reporting these types of incidents and reminds all individuals of the significance of doing so. In order to prevent the acquisition of stolen material, scrap metal dealers must establish rigorous controls, such as document checks on sellers and items received.
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