London Greek Radio

The government has dismissed allegations of an abduction attempt of British children by a gang in Cyprus, noting that all the fuss made by British media over this issue was unnecessary and unsubstantiated.

In a written statement he made in the wake of allegations by the media that a gang attempted to abduct three British children in Protaras, a popular holiday resort, Deputy Government Spokesman Victoras Papadopoulos underlined that Cyprus has been and remains one of the safest tourist destinations all over the world, both for locals and foreigners and their children.

Papadopoulos said that British tourists staying at a hotel in Protaras had filed a complaint with the Police that an unknown man was taking pictures and approached their children. He noted that the police acted quickly and arrested a 19-year-old man of Bulgarian origin.

The man was questioned and his mobile phone was confiscated, however nothing inappropriate was found. The police also conducted investigations at this house, where nothing suspicious or inappropriate was found as regards this case or any related offences, Papadopoulos added.

He noted that moreover the police visited the hotel premises and took statements from the British parents that had filed the complaint as well as from their children, however nothing inappropriate came up.

“Consequently the Cyprus government considers that the fuss made by British media is unnecessary and unsubstantiated,” Papadopoulos added.