Urgent work under way to repair storm damage to Mijas beach before the Easter holidaymakers arrive

Urgent works are under way to get a Mijas beach hit by last weekend's storms ready for when large numbers of tourists head to the Costa del Sol for Easter at the end of the month.

Many businesses have spent months preparing for the key Semana Santa period, but the winter storm undid some progress, as was the case for José Rueda, who has been running the Nacho Playa beach bar for 30 years.

Two years ago he refurbished the area, with the idea to improve facilities and make them storm-resistant. Until last weekend he had experienced no issues. However, strong winds and rough seas last Saturday caused part of his terrace to collapse, but he said there would have been more damage if it weren't for works he did two years ago.

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"The pillars were fixed in the sand, in the water, otherwise the whole terrace would have been washed away by the storm," he said. "The chiringuito has fire and theft insurance, but not against natural disasters, nobody will insure you against that," Rueda added. He is awaiting an estimate to repair the damage. "Easter is lost, but we will try to reopen in May," he said.

The chiringuito is on El Bombo beach, in Mijas Costa, which felt the full force of last weekend's storm on the Costa del Sol. But the town hall moved quickly and on Monday a 22-tonne bulldozer, two tractors and several municipal workers were on the beaches cleaning and repairing storm damage.

Mijas mayor Ana Mata pointed out 140 metres of the Senda Litoral coastal walkway, also destroyed by the storm, will have to be repaired. She hit out at the Spanish national government for not providing the Costa del Sol with a beach stabilisation plan. "This week we will send a report to the ministry responsible for the Costas with the costs incurred and the damage caused to our coast by the storm, to make them aware of the need for permanent stabilisation works," she said.

"The ministry has to make a beach stabilisation plan that lasts over the years. If, in other parts of Spain the breakwaters are working, why not here? Mijas lives from tourism, we are an international reference destination and we can not continue to work urgently preparing for Easter and cross our fingers that another storm does not come, we need solutions," she added.