Rhodes to freedom: Greece should crack down on boozy Brits

Greece's courts may not always be everyone's idea of the classical criminal justice system. But it is difficult not to sympathise with the Greek authorities

this time. Their long-overdue attempt to end the degradation that British "booze tourism" has inflicted on their islands and culture deserves this country's enthusiastic approval and cooperation. For too many summers, quiet resorts in the poorer southern half of Europe have been forced, for economic reasons alone, to turn a blind eye to the behaviour of thousands of young tourists from the richer north. Now, faced with another season of alcohol-fuelled excess by British tourists in places like Corfu, Ios, Rhodes and Zakynthos, the police and prosecutors in some of the worst affected Greek islands have at last begun to bite the hand that feeds them. "You and your associates must realise that this kind of of behaviour cannot go on indefinitely," Rhodes prosecutor George Economou told one British tourist, Jemma Gunning, after she stripped off in front of 500 cheering clubbers at a 4am party. "You have insulted our civilisation and insulted your own country," he continued, before she was given an eight-month jail sentence. "You have to learn to respect the morals of other people as well, and especially of the country that hosts you."

Good for the Greeks. But what about the licentious culture that drives this annual British plague? Why is the drinks industry given a free run at Britain's teenagers by advertisers and by the misguided liberalisation of the licensing laws north and south of the border? Why are the tabloid press queuing up to bail Ms Gunning out of prison as though she was a human rights victim rather than a casualty of mass hedonism? Why are our broadcasters still putting out programmes extolling and exploiting such debauchery? The truth is this is Britain's problem not Greece's. It is not enough to cheer the crackdown in the south. We need to call last orders in the north too.

Jemma-Anne Gunning was jailed for flashing her breasts

Faliraki 'bare breasts' girl released

A teenage girl who was facing a jail sentence on a Greek island after being accused of baring her breasts, has been released.

Jemma-Anne Gunning is believed to have taken part in a "Beautiful Bottom" competition in the resort of Faliraki when police raided the club during a crackdown on "inappropriate behaviour".

At a court appearance on Tuesday, Ms Gunning was ordered to pay a fine of 2,500 euros (£1,750) or spend the next eight months in jail, according to reports.

The 18-year-old from Frome was released after her mother, Sarah Brake, flew to the island from Heathrow Airport on Tuesday night and paid the fine.

She is believed to be returning to the UK and is expected back in Somerset on Friday.

Her brother, Jamie Brake, said: "She is doing ok. She is in a hotel and a bit shaken up, but ok".

Keith Betton, from the Association of British Travel Agents, told the BBC: "I think the Greek authorities have been heavy handed. A girl has done something naive and faced jail for eight months - it's incredible and over the top.

"The authorities want to demonstrate they are cracking down: they have done that now and need to back off a little bit."

Her arrest followed that of 20-year-old Matthew Maloney from South Wales, arrested for dropping his trousers in the resort after a night out drinking.

He was saved a year in a Greek jail after his family stumped up £2,000 to pay his fine and secure his release.

Clamp down

On Tuesday Ms Brake said her daughter, who has just finished a degree in media studies, was a sensible girl who had been made a scapegoat.

"She is very distressed and very upset. She can't believe what is happening," she told the BBC on Tuesday.

The resort of Faliraki has become synonymous with loutish British tourists.

The Mayor of Faliraki is reported to have ordered the clamp down on organised bar crawls following the death of Irish teenager Paddy Doran, who died after being stabbed with a broken bottle last week.

Investigation

Since then five holiday reps from England have been arrested for encouraging illegal pub crawls but later released.

Derek Celis, 24, and 20-year-old Emily Dean, who are both from London, Claire Hullock, 20, from Leeds, Sarah-Louise Sharkey, 33, from Penrith in Cumbria, and 31-year-old Thomas Battista, from Birmingham, were all acquitted in court on Monday.

Their employers have said they will keep their jobs.

Earlier this month, 29-year-old Matthew Benney died after being hit by a bin truck in the resort.

Greek authorities are investigating claims that Mr Benney may have run under the truck for a bet.

The Brits are guests in Greece, and they have to behave as such.

fair enough...but if you check out the links, what she did was flash her boobs. Stupid, vulgar, etc.- but not really all that. Methinks the Hellenes were pissed that it wasn't a boy's bottom that they saw.

What's funny to me is how the Guardian twits frame the question- " For too many summers, quiet resorts in the poorer southern half of Europe have been forced, for economic reasons alone, to turn a blind eye to the behaviour of thousands of young tourists from the richer north.

From what I gather, it's not so much the odd bit of flashing naked non-goat flesh that's a problem, it's drunken fighting, property vandalizing, stabbings, etcet..

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