British holidaymakers flee Benidorm beach as 'fireworks mistaken for gun shots'

British holidaymakers were left running scared from a Benidorm beach - after mistaking fireworks for a Tunisia-style gunman attack.

A report in the Mirror says the tourists started fleeing to their hotels after the fireworks were initially thought to be gunfire.

Police even raced to the beach after hearing the noises and bangs on Wednesday afternoon.

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Speaking to the paper, Julia Chapman, 67, said: "It frightened the life out of me - I was lying on my sun lounger when I heard the loud noises.

"It sounded alike a gun being fired, I just grabbed my towel and ran for it. "My friends did the same - we weren't taking any chances."

Letting off fireworks is reportedly a tradition at Levante Beach, but many thought it wasn't a good idea as tensions are running high after the recent deadly attack in Tunisia.

Ms Chapman added: "I hope they told the idiot who set the fireworks off that it was a careless thing to do so soon after what happened in Tunisia."

According to Sky News, it has now been confirmed that 30 Britons and three Irish citizens were among the 38 people that died in the attack at Tunisia's Sousse beach.

The tourists were sunbathing on the beach when gunman Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire.

The BBC reports that Tunisia declared a state of emergency following the attack last month, and has announced plans to build a wall along its border with Libya to counter the threat from jihadist militants.

Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid told state TV that the wall would stretch 100 miles inland from the coast, and is likely to be completed by the end of 2015.

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