Beaten and robbed at gunpoint between Elche and Santa Pola.

A 61-YEAR-OLD woman was injured when a group of hooded men burst into her restaurant between Elche and Santa Pola. Margarita, the owner of Venta Dura, headed to her home, which is just next door, at around 1.30am after closing the restaurant. With her was a 55-year-old employee.

She was getting some towels off the washing line when someone grabbed her and she was beaten by three or four people who she claimed had foreign accents and were carrying a gun.

They demanded that she give them money and she handed over some €5,000 which she had earned in the restaurant over the week, but they said they wanted more and continued to beat her and also the woman who was with her. They demanded that she open the safe, but she was unable to do so because the burglars had already attempted to break into it.

They then tied the two women up and threatened them while searching the house for any valuable objects. After they left, the women waited before they went to get help. The intruders had pulled the phone lines out in the house and taken their mobile phones.

The stopped a car on the road at around 4am and the young occupants called the police. The two women were taken to hospital while police searched the area. The following day, Margarita, covered in bruises, opened the restaurant as usual, claiming that she prefers to get on with her life and dwell on what happened.

By Jennifer Leighfield