Costa Blanca
Beckhams former bodyguard found dead on Alicante coast

Craig Ainsworth, the bodyguard who served as the protector of luminaries including the Beckhams, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Zendaya, was discovered deceased in the Valencian town of Lliria on Sunday. The former British police officer’s lifeless body was discovered by two men who were strolling through San Vicente municipal park. They immediately raised the alarm.
A day prior to his suicide, Ainsworth, who was 40 years old, posted a farewell message on his Facebook profile: “Goodbye, beautiful people.” Living is the most uncommon phenomenon on Earth. This will come as a surprise to the majority of you; however, my suffering has been immense for the past four years (…).
Two patrols from the Lliria Local Police and one from the Guardia Civil responded to the alert that a man had hanged himself in the municipal area. Additionally, a physician and a team of firefighters were present.
An inspection was conducted by the initial officers on the scene, and no criminal evidence was discovered. The documents discovered within a rucksack located a few metres from the body were used to identify Ainsworth.
Officers located the rental car that the bodyguard used to travel from Dénia to Lliria in the municipal parking area. Before the body was transported to the Valencia Institute of Legal Medicine for an autopsy, a second investigation was conducted in the pine forest by a team from the Lliria Guardia Civil’s Judicial Police.
The vehicle was also examined by specialists from the armed institute, who discovered no evidence that anyone had accompanied Ainsworth in the car from Dénia to Lliria. The Civil Guard’s investigations indicate that he made the decision to commit suicide without the assistance of anyone.
In an effort to locate her son, Ainsworth’s mother had utilised social media platforms. The individual who served in the military was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. After being informed by an acquaintance of her daughter about the potential location of the bodyguard’s phone, the woman travelled to the Lliria area.
Life’s Challenges
However, what was the reason for his suicide? He elaborates on several of the challenges that life presented to him in his departure letter: “I lost some truly amazing people I was proud to call friends and colleagues, particularly Ryan and Jamie, who were like brothers to me, and the lockdown (from the pandemic) destroyed everything I had built.”
In his final remarks, he expresses his gratitude for his family and friends, as well as his rebuke of those who attacked and humiliated him. “I lived the life of ten men.” I lived with a pure spirit and good intentions (…). I made an effort to spread positivity and assist others. Another paragraph of the ex-marine’s letter states, “My confidence has been shattered by everyone who speaks about me without interacting with me.”
“I urge anyone who is contemplating self-harm to seek assistance.” Please refrain from copying me, as you are unaware of the ordeals I have endured. Those who are most closely associated with me will be delighted that I have discovered tranquillity. The bodyguard suggests, “Consider that.”
Ainsworth had a wealth of experience in private security and had served as a police officer in the United Kingdom. He safeguarded the Beckhams from threats and hazards, including obsessive fans, and accompanied the couple to public events and on travels while serving as their bodyguard.
He is described by his professional associates as a discreet and experienced bodyguard who maintained a close relationship with the Beckhams. Additionally, he safeguarded other public figures and personalities, including Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Hemsworth.
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Costa Blanca
Five Guys to open its first restaurant in Benidorm

The first restaurant of the FIVE GUYS restaurant brand, which specialises in hamburgers, will soon be opening in Benidorm, Alicante municipality. The premises are situated at Avenida de Alcoy, 9, adjacent to Bilbao Avenue and the renowned Penélope nightclub.
In addition to the over 1,000 smoothie options, the Five Guys menu provides the option to customise the hamburgers with over 250,000 possible combinations. Furthermore, each establishment is equipped with its own Coca-Cola freestyle machine, which offers a selection of over 125 distinct beverages.
FIVE GUYS operates 41 locations throughout Spain. This is the third restaurant of the franchise in the Valencian Community, joining the existing locations in Valencia (Town Hall Square) and Alicante (Rambla Mendez Nuñez). The region with the most spaces is the Community of Madrid (18), followed by Catalonia (10) and Andalusia (8). Additionally, Murcia and the Basque Country have a space in each territory, respectively.
The chain, which was established in 1986 by Jerry and Janie Murrell in Arlington, Virginia, USA, is predicated on a straightforward formula: “hamburgers and French fries cooked to perfection.” The Murrells established and managed five restaurants during the initial 15 years. In 2002, they became the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the United States by opening their doors to franchisees.
Keep your eye on the website for more details and an opening date https://restaurantes.fiveguys.es/comunidad-valenciana/avenida-alcoi-9
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The Alicante Tourist Board website now available in seven languages

The Alicante Tourist Board has updated its website to add “more information, make it more accessible, adapt it to mobile devices, and be available in seven languages, after incorporating Chinese and Polish.”
Ana Poquet, the councillor for the area, unveiled the new site yesterday, Monday April 14th. She described it as “a Tourist Office that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and serves as a showcase of Alicante’s offerings.”
The councillor emphasised that the new website is designed to be more practical, intuitive, and user-friendly. She also mentioned that visitors can begin planning their trip from the comfort of their homes and continue to consult the website while at their destination to obtain additional information about places to visit and plans to make.
The Tourist Board’s website has been enhanced with the addition of “new sections, improved design and interface, and particularly accessibility, as well as new functions to adjust the size and format of the letters”, among other enhancements.
Furthermore, it includes an updated municipal agenda and “bets on transparency in everything related to the administration and processing of the tourism sector, with more functionalities and possibilities” to facilitate the execution of these actions via the internet.
One of the new sections is “Alicante in three days,” which is designed for travellers who are visiting the city for a weekend and require a comprehensive guide to the city’s cultural attractions, gastronomy, nature, beaches, shopping, and emblematic locations that are “not to be missed.”
In addition to it, the generic sections “What to do” and “What to see” provide “all the practical information about the city’s offering, which also includes accommodation and hospitality.”
Poquet has underscored “the Tourism Board’s dedication to sustainability as a strategic axis,” in addition to accessibility. Consequently, the new website provides comprehensive and up-to-date information on the beaches and natural spaces.
It contains the address, schedules, rules of usage, recommendations, and features. Additionally, visitors are provided with recommendations to mitigate their environmental impact during their visit.
The website www.alicanteturismo.com is now accessible in seven languages, including Chinese and Polish versions in addition to the five existing languages: Spanish, Valencian, English, French, and German.
These two additions are in response to the “strength of Polish tourism in the city in recent years, already occupying the sixth place as an issuer” and, on the other hand, because Chinese is “the language most talked about in the world and a tourist market that is going to be strengthened”, as Poquet has defined from the Board of Trustees.
By 2024, the website experienced a 23 percent increase in traffic compared to the previous year, reaching 1.8 million visitors (up from 1.5 million in 2023). A 45% increase is anticipated.
This figure is expected to rise to 2.2 million by 2025.
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Alicante plans four new Tram lines

The tram’s introduction in Alicante 22 years ago revolutionised transport not only in the city but also throughout the entire region. The initial line established a connection between El Campello and Puerta del Mar. Since that time, this contemporary and environmentally friendly public transport system has grown to encompass five lines and has established connections to critical facilities, including the University of Alicante and the General Hospital de Alicante.
Nevertheless, this approach is insufficient. The preliminary studies for the general structural plan already take into account the future developments in the tram lines, which are now necessary to contemplate Alicante’s current and future growth. In Alicante, the documents anticipate the establishment of up to four new tram lines that would connect all neighbourhoods.
This is especially true for those residing in the southern region. The centre of Alicante is not accessible in neighbourhoods such as La Florida and Ciudad de AsÃs. Consequently, the initial new line is intended to travel in this direction, between Mercalicante and Pla de la Vallonga, via the Ocaña highway.
The new route will depart from the new Alicante Intermodal Station and travel towards Benalúa and La Florida along Avenida Aguilera , which will serve as the axis in the future of Alicante, connecting the railway terminal to the future City of Justice. One of the projects is the construction of an underground parking lot that will serve the judicial infrastructure and residents of the adjacent neighbourhoods.
From the Músico Emilio Menéndez roundabout, it would proceed along Calle Periodista Rafael González Aguilar to Calle Pianista Gonzalo Aguilar. The route would be utilised by public spaces including the Babel market, the Fernando Madroñal health centre, the Vicente Crespo-Babel sports centre, and the Polytechnic University.
Line 2 already serves Doctor Balmis General Hospital, where the second new line will commence. Nevertheless, the Gran VÃa route will be extended over the Red Bridge (pending the Central Park plan, despite residents’ advocacy for its preservation) to the Barco Roundabout on Calle Mexico rather than continuing north towards San Vicente. However, the story would not conclude there. San Gabriel would be included in the second phase.
Conversely, the Gran VÃa would proceed to Avenida Denia via Garbinet from the General Hospital. This new route would transverse the city, connecting the entire Gran VÃa to public transportation via the boulevards from San Juan Beach to San Gabriel.
The third new line follows Novelda Avenue to Ciudad JardÃn, rather than the current route of Line 2 to the University, and proceeds north. Like Marq, this line would leave from General Hospital, which would be an interchange.
The proposed fourth line would be underground, running from Luceros to Marq and then along Avenida de Denia and Bulevar del Pla to Santa Faz. This route had already been proposed as an alternative to transport the tram to San Juan Hospital and was currently under investigation.
Nevertheless, the General Structural Plan documents indicate that the project, which has already been approved by the Ministry of Infrastructure, is being maintained with a fork that extends from the Golf Course stop through Conrado Albadalejo, Nou Nazareth, and Benimagrell to the health centre.
Nevertheless, they could always be complementary, allowing for the provision of additional amenities and two routes to a location as significant as San Juan Hospital, which would accommodate a higher number of individuals.
Other critical components of the tramway’s study in the structured general plan include the establishment of park-and-ride parking spaces that facilitate car-tram connections and discourage private vehicle access to the city centre, as well as the preservation of stops that are 400 to 800 metres apart. Up to six additional parking spaces will be constructed in accordance with the municipal proposal.
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