A FAMILY allegedly racked up a £2,100 bill at an all inclusive Spanish resort before trying to flee the country without paying.

Police hunted down the family-of-three and arrested the mum as she tried to board a flight following the expensive 11-day stay in Gran Canaria.

The mum was arrested at the border control post of Gran Canaria Airport

The Irish woman has been handed over to a judge on suspicion of fraud

Furious hotel managers in San Bartolomé de Tirajana reported the alleged theft to cops after the trio checked out without settling their eye-watering bill.

The stay was booked through the resort’s website, and the customers had provided a credit card number as a security deposit.

But when hotel staff tried to process the bill the transaction would not go through.

Staff scrambled to contact the parents but they couldn’t be reached.

Police launched a search operation to track down the alleged offenders – a mum, dad and child.

Footage shows the moment the mum was accosted by police at the border control post of Gran Canaria Airport.

While she was held at the airport, the unnamed woman claimed the payment had failed due to problems with her bank card.

She told cops that she intended to make the payment but was unable to access her bank card because she was already at the airport.

Police launched a search operation to track down the alleged offenders

Police said they are ‘firmly committed’ to protecting Gran Canaria’s tourism sector

A spokesman for the National Police on the holiday island said: “She ultimately ceased all communication without paying the outstanding amount.”

The woman’s age has not yet been confirmed but police said she is Irish.

She was taken to the Maspalomas police station on suspicion of fraud and handed over to a judge.

The holiday island’s police force said in a statement: “The National Police remains firmly committed to protecting the Canary Islands’ tourism sector, a key pillar of the archipelago’s economy, by strengthening cooperation with hotels to combat any type of criminal activity affecting their operations.

“It also reminds visitors that attempts to evade payment for contracted services will be subject to police investigation in order to determine any criminal liability that may apply.”

It comes after a serial ‘dine and dash’ family were accused of running out on bills for luxury slap-up meals worth more than £1,000.

The family-of-eight were shamed by the Bella Ciao Italian in Port Talbot near Swansea after they allegedly left without paying for £329 worth of grub.

Three other restaurants later went public with their own warning about the family with police believed to have been alerted by at least seven.

The family could face up to two years prison for theft from the series of alleged rogue restaurant eat-outs so far over the last eight months.

It is led by a middle-aged couple who even took a toddler in a baby chair on the latest runner.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16713965/family-flee-spanish-holiday-without-paying-mum-arrested/