A Spanish hotspot popular among Brits has suffered a setback in a planned crackdown on visitor accommodation. had planned to initiate checks to confirm all tourist flats were legal and serve penalty fines for those which were not, but the plan has been delayed.

Proposed action to inspect, sanction and collect penalty fines for illegal tourist dwellings were delayed because the Spanish city does not have enough inspectors to launch the plan. Urban planning councillor Rocio Gomez said this week it would take extra time to transfer regional powers to Alicante but would not commit to a timeframe. Speaking at a plenary council meeting, she said an inspection department was being created before a formal request is sent to take over full policing of holiday accommodation from the regional authorities.

According to a report from Alicante's city council in January, almost 75% of the area's tourist flats are not registered.

In districts like the Old Town, San Juan beach and the city centre, up to 20% of housing is made up of tourist accommodation.

Given the high figures, Alicante implemented a two-year moratorium on issuing new tourist licenses last December.

During this time, each of the city's districts will be surveyed to work out an appropriate number of holiday homes for a neighbourhood.

Alicante is a historic Mediterranean port on Spain's southeastern coast and a favourite among sun-seekers.

Its port is one of the most important in Spain for cruises, with 72 calls to port made by cruise ships in 2007 bringing 80,000 passengers to the city.

Yet rising visitor numbers, a trend mirrored in much of Spain, has meant pressure on the city's housing market.

In April, tens of thousands of Spaniards marched across 40 cities to demand a solution to the housing crisis.

It followed a public letter signed by seven protest groups in Majorca to urge tourists not to come to the island, with similar anti-tourist sentiments expressed across the country.