Benidorm - 23 June 2016

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. Various of coast promenade in Benidorm

2. Close of Union Jack bunting

3. Various of nightclubs

4. Television screen showing news programme on EU Referendum

5. Louise Bell, 42-years-old, UK-born but has been living in Spain for 19 years, watching television programme on EU referendum

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Louise Bell, born in Nottingham but has been living in Spain for 19 years:

"I believe that it's not going to make much difference if we come out of the Euro (sic.). I think everything will stay more or less the same as it was 19 years ago; it's just that you would have to have a work permit to come over to Spain, which I think is more safer for the people travelling around, people with no papers will be more controlled. And my vote is out, because I'm English and I think I deserve, for my country, for my family, that they get the best from their own country."

7. Jim Lions and his wife, UK tourists, watching television coverage

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jim Lions, 58-years-old, UK tourist in Benidorm:

"I have not voted because I've been here in Benidorm on holiday."

9. Close of Jim Lions

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Jim Lions, 58-years-old, UK tourist in Benidorm:

"I vote we stay in because it's good for a lot of British, could be a lot of problems if we go alone, it's good for companies, the company I work for we deal all over Europe, so it's very good for us."

11. Close of sign reading "Titanic Bar"

12. Bar customers having a drink and watching television coverage

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Denise Wood, 60-years-old, UK tourist:

"I voted by proxy before I came away, I voted to come out of the EU and I don't think that our country benefits from the EU, and I don't think that the politicians know what to do with the country."

14. Various of bars in Benidorm

British residents in Spain were among those watching the EU referendum result closely on Thursday as the UK voted on whether to remain within or leave the European Union.

Spain has one of the largest communities of British people living abroad, with around 300-thousand Brits officially registered as residents.

It is also a key holiday destination for British tourists.

In the seaside resort city of Benidorn, which has a vibrant British community of around 3,500 people, Brits expressed their concerns on Thursday about what a 'Leave' vote would mean for local British residents and tourists, with a possible weaker pound being a key worry for some.

Most people were going out as usual and most clubs didn't broadcast the TV specials on the referendum, although early after polls closed in Britain some people were seen watching the results in at least a couple of bars in the area of Levante Beach.

The British expat community in Spain is split between those who can vote and those who have lived away from Britain for longer than fifteen years, disqualifying them from a say on whether the UK remains in union with their adopted country.

Many of them are afraid of the consequences of a potential Brexit for their status in Spain, which would depend on negotiations between the EU and the UK should the 'Leave' side triumph.