British woman, 64, arrested on suspicion of strangling UK friend with vacuum cleaner cable in Benidorm

A 64-year-old British woman has been arrested on suspicion of killing a fellow British woman during an argument while they were on holiday in Benidorm, Spain. Police were dispatched to an apartment in Benidorm’s Little England district, a private gated estate popular with British expats and tourists, where the 66-year-old victim was found dead. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect, who has not been named, is in custody after investigators say she confessed following her removal from the scene. A spokesman for Spain’s National Police said the investigation is ongoing and provided no further details. An initial post-mortem concluded that the death was due to strangulation.

Authorities say the two women were staying at the apartment in Benidorm for a short stay; the relationship between them has not been disclosed. A third British resident who called emergency services has provided a witness account, though the nationalities of the other witnesses have not been released. The suspect was examined at a health centre in Benidorm before being taken to a police station for questioning.

Investigators recovered the vacuum cleaner lead for forensic testing and have taken a statement from the witness who alerted authorities. Detectives have filed a formal witness statement and the case has been placed under the charge of a local court as authorities compile a full police report and await the results of the final post-mortem.

The victim’s body was removed from the scene around 3 a.m. local time. It remains unclear whether both women were holidaymakers at the same apartment, or if one was visiting the other as part of a broader trip.

Officials cautioned that the case remains active and more information will be released as available. The incident underscores safety considerations in popular tourist zones such as Benidorm, where many British expats spend extended stays.