A family watched in dismay as their house in Alcalá de Guadaíra, Sevilla, was demolished by the local authorities on the grounds of being illegally built.
The house was one of hundreds of homes built illegally in the area where Alcalá de Guadaíra joins the municipality of Dos Hermanas. The family, and neighbours, did everything they could to try and prevent the demolition of the property, but to no avail.
The family built the house themselves, bit by bit, starting in 2002. The father, the only one of the five family members who is working, now also faces a €30,000 fine and must pay the costs involved in the demolition, estimated at €5,000. Where he and his family will now sleep is not known.