A BRITISH couple have been booted out of their own home after police failed to kick-out violent squatters.

The homeowners are “traumatised” after they were attacked by intruders who had taken over their £420,000 Menorcan villa — even installing their own alarm system.

The British couple were horrified to find squatters at their £420,000 Menorcan villa

Cops ordered the terrified couple to spend the night in a hotel, despite the fact the wife was throttled by the squatter.

The intruders, a Spanish father and son, trashed the villa that the couple visit up to six times a year.

Rugs, furniture, paintings and beds had all been dumped, while money, a TV and an iPad had “disappeared”.

When the couple saw what had become of their home they broke into tears.

The couple are ‘traumatised’ from the ordeal

The squatters, who bragged that they planned to stay at the house as long as they could, were arrested the following day.

They were arrested for breaking and entering, according to a National Police spokesman.

The nightmare began when the Kent-based couple arrived at their beloved villa and an unfamiliar alarm rang out.

The couple’s lawyer said: “When they entered their own property an alarm they hadn’t installed started going off.

“The squatters, a Spanish father and son, were out at the time but returned when the alarm was activated and the dad forced entry and got hold of my client’s wife by the neck and my client reacted by trying to defend her.

“The police ended up arriving after a brief struggle when the son was already inside the house as well.

“Officers made the British couple leave although they later admitted to me they had made a mistake.”

At the police station, the couple were forced to prove that the home was indeed theirs – providing photos and paperwork as clear evidence of ownership.

It is understood the father and son replaced what was in the house with the minimum they needed to live in it.

The couple will have no choice but to start from scratch and furnish the house all over again.

The Spanish father and son are believed to have been living at the property since May, according to the lawyer.

She said: “The house next door to my clients is for sale and the one on the other side is empty most of the year so there were no direct neighbours who would have been suspicious about what was going on.”

A spokesman for the National Police in Menorca confirmed: “Two Spanish nationals were arrested for breaking and entering after getting into a property owned by a British couple and removing their personal belongings.

“The Spaniards were a father and son who appeared to have been living there for some time.

“Because the man and his wife couldn’t initially prove it was their home, officers took down the details of the two people inside but informed the British couple they couldn’t stay.

“That changed the following day when they were able to demonstrate with paperwork it was their property.

“That’s when the arrests occurred although I understand the father and son were released on bail following a court appearance.

“The two squatters were the only ones held.”

The lawyer added: “They want to put this behind them as quickly as possible because it’s been a very traumatic experience for them.”

This comes as organised gangs reportedly target foreign-owned properties, hijacking them to move in squatters.

The Balearic Islands have the second highest rate of squatters in Spain, according to 2024 statistics from the police and Civil Guard.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16661254/brits-stunned-squatters-take-over-spanish-home/