The Pine Processionary Moth infestation has been eradicated and controlled in dog parks, bus stops, school areas, bike paths, and public parks and gardens for four months (December 2024–March 2025) by La Nucía’s gardening services in partnership with the Department of the Environment. In the course of the “24-25 Campaign Against Pine Processionary Moth,” the municipality has eliminated over 500 bags. A large number of these were caused by instances that locals reported (200) via the municipal registration, the La Nucía App (140 of which involved Pine Processionary Moths), etc.

In an effort to eradicate this pest from pine trees and conifers found in green spaces and municipal parks, the Departments of Environment and Technical Services have once again started the Municipal Campaign against the Pine Processionary Moth (CPM). Preventing the caterpillars from falling from their nests to the ground was the aim of this effort. Due to the need that owners remove pine trees containing pine processionary moths from private plots, municipal brigades could only work in public areas.

Parks and School Zones

Trees along the CV-70 highway, bus stops, dog parks, bike lanes, and playgrounds, as well as school perimeters, have all been targeted as part of the 2024–2025 Municipal Campaign against the Processionary Moth. In order to destroy the pest before it emerges from its nest and descends to the ground to finish its life cycle, branches that had caterpillar sacs were cut off as part of this pruning campaign.

December 2024 and January, February, and March 2025 saw the implementation of this municipal campaign against the Processionary Moth 24-25.

Preventive care

In September and October of 2024, the pine trees were sprayed with the bacterium “Bacillus thuringiensis” as a preventive measure. As a result, much fewer processionary caterpillar pockets have been seen on the municipality’s trees.

Participation of Citizens

In order to dispose of processionary caterpillar sacks in public parks and shared green spaces, the La Nucía City Council has asked for help from the public. The La Nucía App, accessible at http://lanucia.es/Ayuntamiento/App, allows locals to report instances involving the processionary caterpillar.

During this 24- to 25-day campaign, 140 processionary caterpillar-related occurrences were really documented. Residents of the municipality can access the schedule of events, manage incidents, and check the news using a free smartphone app. Additionally, you can get in touch with the Administrative Extensions or call Town Hall at 965 870 700.

Police in Portugal have detained Jonny Smyth, who is accused by Spanish authorities of being involved in John George’s murder.

Interpol circulated worldwide arrest orders for Mr. Smyth, 26, who had left Spain after John George vanished.

In December, Belfast resident Mr. George vanished in Spain.

On January 7th, Spanish police discovered him dead in a secluded lemon grove, where he had been shot in the face and chest and stabbed.

Mr. Smyth, a native of Belfast, was taken into custody at a vacation rental home in Braga and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

Although the arrest has been confirmed by Spanish police as well, it is anticipated that the extradition procedure may take some time to finish.

Billy George, John George’s father, had recently been to Braga to alert the city’s police force of information he thought would hint to Smyth’s whereabouts.

Six persons were taken into custody by the Alicante National Police on Monday after conducting two home invasion raids. In addition to the raid, three of the people detained are accused of coercion and work for a property clearance company.

The operation happened on Avenida Pintor Gastón Castelló in Alicante on Monday 24th March at approximately ten in the morning. A 091 report regarding a brawl in the street where multiple individuals were shaking each other was answered by citizen security patrols from the Provincial Police Station and the Alicante North Police Station.

Three employees of an eviction business who said they had been paid by the apartment’s owner to install cameras and alter the locks were arrested as a result of the operation. Despite being informed that no one was home, a 31-year-old Moroccan man who claimed to have lived there with his wife for six years showed up after they had gone inside and changed the locks.

When the police came, three of the six persons who had told them they were in the residence had departed. The detained include a 45-year-old Moroccan and two Spaniards, ages 34 and 25.

A second operation for breaking and entering also occurred on Monday at approximately 4 p.m. It happened on Calle Carratalá in Alicante, and three Algerians were taken into custody by the police for occupying a fellow Algerian’s house while he was on a month-long holiday in Algeria.

After receiving a tip about a fight on Calle Carratalá, patrols from the National Police’s 091 unit arrived to discover two individuals fighting with a third party who was leaning out of a window. A 33-year-old Algerian guy was interviewed by the authorities as they approached his home. He informed them that he had spent six years there. He gave them the rental agreement and claimed that he had entered his home through a courtyard after finding the lock was broken when he returned from vacation.

He went inside and found three squatters who had taken up residence in the building. The complainant’s presence was verified by the neighbours, who also detained three Algerian men—ages 43, 32, and 21—for trespassing.