The War between the Brits and the Germans

Want to go for a dip after sitting in the hot beach sun? Better bring your chair with you. A German lawyer has discovered that leaving towels on chairs is not a legally binding entitlement to that chair!

Furious British tourists have gained an unlikely ally in the form of German lawyer Ralf Höcker, who told the Guardian that his research into Spanish and German law had revealed that leaving towels on loungers was not legally binding.

"A British tourist would be quite within their legal rights to ignore the reservation implied by the towels if there is nobody there," said Cologne-based Mr Höcker, 34.