BRITISH tourist was raped in her Spanish hotel bed after she and her husband were gassed unconscious,

BRITISH tourist was raped in her Spanish hotel bed after she and her husband were gassed unconscious, he claimed yesterday.
The 56-year-old mum of two is said to have been attacked as her partner, 55, lay sleeping next to her.

He said he woke as she screamed his name after they were "knocked out" by a mystery gas pumped into their room by the sex beast.

The husband said: "We had one of five rooms on the roof of the hotel. The balcony meant people in neighbouring rooms could gain access from theirs to our area.

"I think he somehow gassed us and then came in. My wife woke me screaming my name at around 4am and I realised someone was in the room with us. My wife said he'd raped her. She said she felt it happening to her.

"She had been wearing underwear when she went to bed and this animal removed it.

"He managed to get out of the front door and I think he was naked when he ran out. It was dark and I just saw a shadow. He also stole a lot of money from us."

The couple, from Greater Manchester, were nearing the end of their holiday at the three-star Siroco Hotel in Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol when the attack happened early on Monday.

They were moved to a new room as investigations were carried out, but were so terrified they barricaded themselves in with a wardrobe and a chair.

The woman was treated by medics in Spain but now faces the trauma of an HIV test back home in Britain.

The husband said: "This has ruined our lives. We both could have been killed. My wife is absolutely petrified."

A police spokesman in Malaga province said: "We can confirm we are investigating an allegation of rape in a hotel room in Benalmadena over the weekend.

"A British woman said she was raped in her hotel bed. No arrests have been made at this point. The investigation is ongoing and we cannot give more details at this stage."

A Foreign Office report in 2008 found Spain and Greece had the most reported rape incidents involving British victims - 29 and 28 respectively.