Dramatic footage shows Spanish riot police forcing their way into an 87-year-old woman’s Madrid flat after supporters piled furniture against the door to stop her eviction.

Maricarmen Abascal was forcibly evicted from her home of 70 years on Wednesday after an investment firm hiked her rent by 275 per cent sparking furious protests across Spain.

In video captured inside the apartment police are seen crashing through a barricade of chairs shelves and a lamp to carry out the court-ordered eviction as the bewildered pensioner watched on.

A cutting sound can be heard before the door gives way and the furniture begins to topple. Maricarmen was inside with her cousin Vicente, her niece and members of the Tenants’ Union.

She was removed from the property despite pleas from her supporters as violent clashes broke out outside her apartment in the upmarket area of Retiro in central Madrid.

Supporters say she was given just 30 minutes to gather her belongings before health workers took her away in an ambulance.

The eviction sparked violent clashes between police and demonstrators who had gathered outside the building to try to stop it. 

The firm behind the legal action, Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversión SL, is run by investment brothers Ricardo Alonso Fernández and Fernando Alonso Fuentes. It bought Maricarmen’s apartment in 2018.

Maricarmen was inside with her cousin Vicente, her niece and members of the Tenants’ Union

Pictured: A barricade against the door of Maricarmen’s flat, assembled to delay riot cops from entering the apartment 

Advertisement

Pictured: Activists tried to prevent the eviction as riot police forced their way into the property

Maricarmen waits at home to see whether her eviction will go ahead or be prevented, on 23 September, 2026

Pictured: Police confront demonstrators during a protest in Madrid following the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen

She had been paying around €440 a month under an old tenancy agreement. The firm later proposed a rent of €1,650 a month, a rise of 275 per cent, according to Spanish reports.

Maricarmen’s lawyer claims the owners had not spoken directly to her once in the eight years since the purchase. 

Both brothers are lawyers and have been administrators of Urbagestión since it was founded in 2005. 

The firm paid around €240,000 for Maricarmen’s apartment, according to reports.

The men are also linked to more than a dozen other companies, including businesses in property, construction and pharmacy sector advisory services.

British pianist James Rhodes later revealed that he had contacted Urbagestión and offered to pay Maricarmen’s rent or buy the apartment so she could remain there. He said the firm rejected both proposals. 

Supporters of Maricarmen camped outside the building on Tuesday night, joined by celebrities including Javier Bardem’s brother, Carlos, and the singer Ana Belén, who read out the poem Desahucio (Eviction) by Rafael Alberti.

Police carried out the court-ordered eviction, while health workers took Maricarmen from the building as protesters chanted, ‘Maricarmen, you are not alone.’

The legal battle reached the Supreme Court which ruled in favour of the firm, clearing the way for the eviction, the the Madrid renters’ union said.

Police officers charged and dragged away dozens of activists who had camped outside Maricarmen’s building to try to stop the eviction, to cries of ‘shame!’ from protesters.

After leaving the building, she was taken to the Gregorio Marañón Hospital. She refused the free emergency placement offered by the city and, at least temporarily, is supposed to be staying with a relative.

Amnesty International Spain slammed ‘a violation of human rights’ and ‘a system that puts the speculative interests of a vulture fund before Maricarmen’s right to stay in her house’.

‘It isn’t an isolated case, it is just another portrayal of the suffering that thousands of households go through in Spain,’ Amnesty said in a statement.

In an interview with public broadcaster RTVE recorded on Tuesday, Maricarmen called the company ‘inhuman, and all in order to make money’.

‘You cannot make a person live for seven years with a machete hanging over their neck,’ she said, blaming the national, regional and city authorities for her plight.

Maricarmen Abascal was carried from the building on a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance as demonstrators chanted: ‘Maricarmen, you are not alone’

Maricarmen was forcibly evicted from home of 70 years on Wednesday after an investment firm hiked her rent by 275 per cent sparking furious riots across Spain

Advertisement

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Madrid as an 87-year-old woman was evicted from the apartment she had called home for 70 years

Housing activists react, after Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was taken away on a stretcher to an ambulance

Spanish riot police removes one of the activits, who were trying to prevent the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal

Police remove a member of the Madrid Tenants’ Union from forming a barricade in front of the access to the building 

Advertisement

Socialist Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez insisted the minority Leftist government had repeatedly tried to pass a law to ban such evictions and accused the conservative-run Madrid region of ‘rolling out the red carpet for these speculators’.

Housing has for years been a top concern for Spaniards as supply falls short of demand, with rents and purchasing prices soaring relentlessly as elsewhere in the European Union.

Residents in the world’s second-most visited country blame short-term tourist rentals such as Airbnb for driving up prices and cutting supply, sparking protests in hotspots including Barcelona.

‘I’m leaving Madrid, because Madrid isn’t Madrid. And the people of Madrid are no longer Madrilenos. They are all the tourists that you have in Gran Via,’ Maricarmen told RTVE, referring to the Spanish capital’s main commercial thoroughfare.

Earlier this year, it emerged that more than 100,000 half-finished homes currently lie empty in Spain, after locals spent years complaining that they had nowhere to live.

Data from Spain’s Ministry of Housing indicates that this vast array of unfinished homes is only a portion of those in the country.

The government’s report into the issue only tracked developments that were meant to host at least 1,000 homes and had building levels of less than 70 per cent.

On top of this, there is enough developed land with streetlights and roads – but no homes – in Spain for 390,000 homes.

Many of these developments exist in an eerie state of limbo as a result of the 2008 financial crisis, with many housebuilders defaulting on loans and declaring bankruptcy, unable to pay their loans back.

And since then, the country’s property development market has come to something of a standstill. The Bank of Spain estimates that there is currently a shortage of almost 700,000 homes.

Because of this, demand for homes has surged, and Spanish residents have increasingly felt priced out of their communities. In the last few years, they have taken out much of their anger on tourists and non-residents who buy up homes in holiday hotspots.

Riots and protests have blighted many of Spain’s biggest tourist cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Mallorca’s Palma.

And in many parts of the country, legislation about banning Britons from buying property is being debated.

The Princess of Wales has hosted a surprise tea party at Windsor Castle for fellow Three Peaks Challenge participants, some of whom she met during her own gruelling hike across the UK’s biggest mountains.

Kate, 44, competed the trek in June, raising funds for the Royal Marsden in central London, where the future queen underwent cancer treatment before announcing she was in remission in January 2025.

Attendees at her tea party last week included 11-year-old paraplegic youngster Ted Haslam, whom the Princess met during her own challenge.

Kate chatted to Ted, who was pushed and carried by 15 friends and relatives, including his father Pete, after they made it to the top of Ben Nevis in Scotland.

A video from the tea party was posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s official Instagram story with the caption: ‘It was a pleasure to welcome other Three Peaks Challenge participants and their families to Windsor Castle.

‘Behind every summit was a personal story of resilience, determination and hope. Listening to their experiences of the challenge and their reasons for taking it on was a powerful reminder that recovery is rarely a journey we make alone, and of the importance of the people who walk alongside us along the way. C’

Other attendees included Sean McCormick, who embarked on the challenge to raise money for his friend’s nephew, who had been diagnosed with cancer, and Trish Patterson.

Ms Patterson became the fastest woman to complete the mammoth challenge of scaling the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales on foot a few days after Kate’s journey.

The 41-year-old mother broke the existing record by nine hours by running between each climb, as Ms Patterson, from Hythe, Hampshire, clocked a time of five days and 21 hours. 

Albie-Junior, nine, was also on the guest list after he became the youngest amputee to conquer the three peaks within 24 hours this August. Albie-Junior, who was raising funds for his local football club, was born without a fibula, and his foot was amputated when he was a toddler.

Kate took on the personal expedition to fundraise for Royal Marsden Hospital, where she underwent treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer in 2024. She is now in remission. that

When she visited the London hospital in September, she heard how funds raised by her Three Peaks Challenge are being used to build a new specialist centre for Holistic Wellbeing. 

The Princess was thanked by Royal Marsden chairman Sir Douglas Flint for her fundraising efforts and spoke modestly, but movingly, of how it was her way of ‘giving back’ for all the ‘incredible’ care she has received on her own cancer journey.

She smiled and said: ‘This was my small way of being able to give back and say thank you to you. I had incredible care here and support from a huge team and I’m really really grateful on a personal level.

‘But also the holistic care, the treatments and therapeutic support alongside the clinical pathway is so important. It makes a big difference.

The future Queen heard stories of ‘resilience’ from those who decided to take on the Three Peaks Challenge 

Ted Haslam (right) met the Princess when they completed the challenge in June, while Albie-Junior became the youngest amputee to conquer the three peaks in August 

The princess in conversation with Albie-Junior, who was born without a fibula, and his foot was amputated when he was a toddler

Advertisement

A video from the royal tea party last week was posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s official Instagram story this morning 

‘The impact of nature, the impact of good nutrition, good ongoing support around you when it’s really difficult to manage the trials and tribulations of medical treatments… it makes a big difference.

‘It made a big difference to me and it made a huge difference to lots of patients who I’ve spoken to. Thank you and well done. I think it will be transformative not only for patients but for families too.’

The future queen secretly undertook the gruelling physical charity climb back in June, with her proud family meeting her at the last stop at the base of Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales. She had also scaled Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike. 

The Three Peaks Challenge sees participants attempt to scale the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours, including Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Scotland and the UK and Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England.

It has a total walking distance of 23 miles (37km), an ascent of 3,064m (10,052ft) of vertical climbing and a driving distance between the peaks of approximately 462 miles.

A picture released by Kensington Palace showed Catherine beaming with delight at the summit of Ben Nevis, dressed in cold weather walking gear with her famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring on display.

In a personally penned message, the Princess – who was diagnosed with an unspecified cancer following major abdominal surgery and underwent gruelling chemotherapy, finally revealing she was in remission a year later – said: ‘Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in this country hear the words no one wants to hear.

‘What follows is a path that tests every part of who we are: physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. The challenges ripple outwards, touching families, friendships, work and the quiet moments we spend alone with our thoughts.

‘Cancer doesn’t just affect the body. It changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life. I know this personally, and that the journey through and beyond treatment requires more than medicine alone.

‘I have taken on the National Three Peaks Challenge, not simply as a physical endeavour but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back.

‘The Royal Marsden is a place that holds great meaning for me and whose care and expertise are life-changing for so many people.’

The royal carried out the challenge solo, supported en route by Mountain Rescue, and was greeted at the end by William, her children George, Charlotte and Louis

The Princess’ brother James Middleton (left) and their parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, were also waiting to celebrate with Kate after the challenge 

Kate giving her daughter, Princess Charlotte, a big hug 

Advertisement

The princess said she was keen to raise awareness for the ‘deeper impact of serious illness’ and, particularly, the importance of holistic healthcare, which she says complements clinical pathways and ‘support patients’ ability to maintain their wellbeing, resilience and quality of life during an exceptionally difficult time’.

She is keen to enable more people nationwide to access the kind of personalised support ‘that can help make a meaningful difference during and after medical treatment’.

‘Healing, whether personal or collective, is not just about fixing what is wrong. It is about finding balance in how we live,’ she said.

‘Together, we can stand alongside everyone navigating life with cancer, ensuring no one faces this disease feeling unseen or unsupported. Please know you are not alone’. 

The royal carried out the challenge solo, supported en route by Mountain Rescue, and was greeted at the end by William, her children George, Charlotte and Louis, her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and brother James.

Kensington Palace said they believed the expedition was a royal first, with the princess being the first member of the Royal Family to complete the Three Peaks.

Kate revealed she had taken on the trek, not only as a physical endeavour, but ‘to give something back’ and raise awareness of the wider impact of serious illness.

The princess was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early in 2024, for which she underwent chemotherapy, and she announced she was in remission 18 months ago in January 2025.

The physical challenge marked the latest milestone for the princess, who has gradually returned to royal duties, and in May, restarted her international travel with a working trip to Italy.

New rules come into force on Thursday, October 1, making it illegal to mix vape liquids from non-duty paid ingredients unless the mixing takes place at an HMRC-approved premises.

The change affects people who create DIY vape juices using base liquids and flavour concentrates.

According to HMRC guidance, the rule applies to “the mixing of non-duty paid liquids to produce a liquid to be used in a vape, even if not produced for commercial sale.”

Anyone found in breach could face civil or criminal penalties, including the possibility of imprisonment.

Shane Margereson, owner of Ecigone, said: “Home mixing has always felt more like a hobby than anything official, so it’s easy to see people being caught out by a rule written for manufacturers.

“A cupboard full of base bought before October won’t get round it either, because what matters is when the mixing happens.

“Far better to hear it from us now than to find out the hard way.”

Mixing shop-bought shortfills with nicotine shots remains legal, as long as both components have had duty paid.

The new Vaping Products Duty adds £2.20 to every 10ml of vape liquid from October 1, regardless of nicotine content.

Duty-paid products made from that date will also feature a vaping duty stamp on their packaging.

Using its Vape Tax Calculator, Ecigone estimated that duty and VAT will add £26.40 to a 100ml shortfill and £52.80 to a 200ml bottle.

30,000 HMRC interventions planned

HMRC announced in June that it would carry out more than 30,000 interventions during 2026-27 aimed at dismantling criminal networks involved in tax fraud, labour exploitation and the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.

The crackdown is part of a wider Government push against organised crime on the high street.

Recommended Reading:

A new High Street Organised Crime Unit was launched by the Home Office in May with £30 million of funding, bringing together HMRC, Trading Standards, police partners and the National Crime Agency.

The Government says information from the public will help enforcement teams build intelligence, identify links between suspicious activity and decide where to focus investigations.

For anyone who suspects a local business is involved in tax fraud, money laundering or other HMRC-related criminal activity, the message is clear: report it.

Headliners for the four-day event include Ocean Colour Scene, Matt Goss, Marc Almond and Symphonic Ibiza.

Next year will mark the fourth Brit Fest, a celebration of 80s and 90s music featuring the original artists.

Festival founders Edward and Anthony Prophet said: “The line-up is a huge part of The Brit Fest, but the feeling people take home with them is about so much more than who they have watched on stage.

“It is the friendships, the freedom, the unexpected moments and thousands of people singing together as the sun goes down. It is arriving with a group of friends, making new ones and leaving already talking about next year.

Brit Fest line-up 2027 (Image: Brit Fest)

“For 2027, we have created four days that each have their own identity while still feeling unmistakably like The Brit Fest. There are artists people have loved for decades, songs everyone knows and performers that a new generation of festivalgoers will discover for the first time.

“An event like this takes an army of partners who share our ambition and believe in what we are building. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported The Brit Fest and delighted to welcome The Propstore, Add People and CAFT as we begin this next chapter together.

“This will be our biggest edition yet, but it will retain the warmth, character and sense of community that have carried us from the very beginning. We want people to look at this line-up and know that next July, there is only one place they want to be.”

The festival will run from Thursday, July 15 to Sunday, July 18.

Matt Goss (Image: Brit Fest)

Symphonic Ibiza will open the festival on the Thursday evening, filling the showground with iconic Ibiza anthems performed by a live orchestra, DJs and vocalists. They will be joined by three special guests Kelly Llorenna, Livin’ Joy and Rozalla, launching The Brit Fest weekend in spectacular style.

Marc Almond (Image: Brit Fest)

Friday will be headlined by Ocean Colour Scene, joined by Lightning Seeds, Huey Morgan of Fun Lovin’ Criminals and rising star Laurie Wright. The Fizz and Let Loose singer Matthew Pateman will also perform on the main stage before hosting the festival’s VIP stage throughout Friday. Two further major Friday artists will be revealed soon.

Saturday brings together an extraordinary collection of era-defining performers, with Matt Goss leading a line-up featuring Haircut 100, Heaven 17, The Real Thing, Doctor & The Medics, Nathan Moore and Toyah.

Bringing the festival to a memorable close on Sunday will be Marc Almond, joined by The Brand New Heavies, The Amy Winehouse Band, Baccara, The Magic Numbers, Musical Youth and Cole Page.

Ocean Colour Scene (Image: Brit Fest)

Alongside the main stage, festivalgoers can explore the Busk Stop and Little Big Top, discover emerging performers, enjoy independent food and drink, experience family entertainment and stay on site as part of the festival’s growing camping and live-in community.

VIP experiences, weekend camping, live-in pitches and a wide range of day and weekend tickets allow visitors to create their own Brit Fest experience, whether that means one huge day of music or four days completely immersed in the festival.

Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Thursday, October 1 including general admission, VIP, camping and live-in vehicle packages, with and without electrical hook-up. For details, visit www.thebritfest.co.uk

The cause of the fire remains unknown

Firefighters battled flames at a workshop building in St Ives. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue were called at 6.47pm on Thursday (September 24) to reports of the fire on Somersham Road.

Crews from Huntingdon, Chatteris and Gamlingay rushed to the scene. Firefighters arrived to find a “well-developed” blaze in a workshop building. Wearing breathing apparatus, the crews tackled the blaze using a hose reel and a jet and returned to their stations by 10.20pm.

An investigation is due to be carried out to determine the cause of the fire.

A fire spokesperson said: “At 6.47pm on Thursday (24) crews from Huntingdon, Chatteris and Gamlingay were called to a fire on Somersham Road in St Ives. Firefighters arrived to find a well-developed fire in a workshop building.

“Wearing breathing apparatus they extinguished the fire using a hose reel and a jet. The crews returned to their stations by 10.20pm. An investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the fire.”

What is cumin made from?

Cumin has long been used for its medicinal purposes

Travellers have been warned of possible measles exposure at Philadelphia airport after a person carrying the viral disease passed through the hub.

The incident took place in terminals B and F, and in areas used to connect to other terminals in C, D and E between Sunday, 13 September from 7.25pm to Monday, 14 September at 12.05am.

The individual with measles was travelling through Philadelphia and did not leave the airport.

The city’s health department confirmed that this is a separate measles case not connected to a recent outbreak at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

People who were at the airport on those dates are being asked to check their vaccination status and watch for symptoms.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that is spread through the air when infected people cough, sneeze or talk.

Unvaccinated people can catch the virus within two hours of sharing the same room or air space as those who are infected .

Early symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash.

In severe cases, measles can lead to pneumonia, brain infection and death.

“This week’s measles exposures are a reminder of how important it is for all of us to be up to date on our vaccinations,” said Philadelphia’s health commissioner Dr Palak Raval-Nelson.

“Every Philadelphian who is fully vaccinated has little to fear from the situation at CHOP and the airport. Even more importantly, every one of those people is doing their part to help protect our most vulnerable from measles.”

Advice suggests that anyone who is not immune, is unsure of their vaccination status, is an infant, is pregnant and not immune, or is immunocompromised should contact their healthcare provider as soon as possible.

The exposure comes after a resurgence of measles cases across the US, with 3,472 cases recorded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2026, an increase of more than 1,000 cases compared to last year.

Of all 2026 cases, 95 per cent of people were unvaccinated, or their vaccination status was unknown.

There has been one measles death recorded so far by the CDC this year.

Read more: Royal Caribbean cruise passengers return to hundreds of baby spiders in their car

A National Highways spokesperson said in a statement: “National Highways is advising motorists to allow extra time for their journeys following the closure of the M61 southbound this morning between Junction 4 (A6) and Junction 2 (M60) due to a significant oil spillage from an HGV.

“Oil from the vehicle spilled across lanes one and two as it travelled along the motorway, stretching for a distance of approximately 2km. Due to the extent of the spillage and the hazard it poses to road users, the carriageway has been closed to allow a clean-up operation to take place safely.

“Specialist equipment is being used for the clean-up and the HGV has been recovered. Motorists are advised to plan ahead, allow additional time for their journeys and avoid the area if possible, with reports of three miles of congestion and delays of 35 minutes.”

Sir Ranulph Fiennes was ‘unlawfully deprived of his liberty’ when he was placed in a series of care homes by his wife, a watchdog has found.

The world’s greatest living explorer, 82, has not been seen in public for two years. He is thought to have been moved through a series of care homes under a false name.

Friends claimed his wife Louise Millington-Cotes had strict control over who could visit and instructed staff to disguise Sir Ranulph’s appearance when out in public.

Now it has emerged one of the facilities where Sir Ranulph resided flagged concerns over his welfare with the relevant authorities and the police, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The owner of the care home in Wales wrote to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to alert them of the medical arrangements made by Ms Millington-Cotes, including concerns about a ‘do not resuscitate’ document she provided.

Friends of the explorer and author are considering legal action to challenge her guardianship, it has been reported.

Sir Ranulph married Ms Millington-Cotes following the death of his first wife, Virginia ‘Ginny’ Fiennes, in 2004 from cancer.

They have a 20-year-old daughter, Elizabeth.

Sir Ranulph was reported to have spent time at a care home in London last year, where his wife asked visitors to sign non-disclosure agreements before being allowed to see him.

He was later moved and spent time at care facilities in Wales and Cheshire. Only his wife and daughter are thought to know his exact location.

Mrs Millington-Cotes is said to have failed to ensure a deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) order was in place despite being alerted to it by a care home owner.

In a January email to the Care Inspectorate of Wales seeking advice, the owner wrote: ‘Currently [Sir Ranulph] is being deprived of his liberty unlawfully as there is no authorised deprivation in place which reflects the current residence and restrictions in place.

‘[Sir Ranulph] is under continuous supervision and control, is not free to leave and is not able to consent to care, treatment and accommodation.

‘As such, the provider is required to make an urgent and standard application under the deprivation of liberty safeguards as soon as practicable.’

The Telegraph reports that problems over Sir Ranulph’s care occurred because of the lengths his wife went to to conceal his identity from staff, residents or visitors.

The owner told the paper she said he was ‘an ex-SAS man whose life might be in danger from extremists’ and that staff at a previous care home had tried to kill him.

She insisted on registering him under a false name and that he wear a hat, sunglasses and gloves to prevent anyone recognising his face or frostbite-damaged fingers when out for walks.

DoLS, which are part of the Mental Health Capacity Act 2005, are designed to protect the interests of people who lack mental capacity, such as those with dementia.

A DoLS order must be made by two professionals not involved in an individual’s care and the person in care must have a nominated representative.

Care Inspectorate Wales, the independent regulator of social care, said: ‘Care Inspectorate Wales is committed to promoting the safety, wellbeing and rights of people who receive social care services across Wales.

‘It would not be appropriate for us to comment on an individual’s personal circumstances or care arrangements.’

Mrs Millington-Cotes is yet to comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.