British expats returning home from Spain

MARBELLA, Spain, May 16 (UPI) -- Some Britons living in Spain say the falling value of the British pound and the global financial crisis have forced them to pack up and return home.

The lagging Spanish economy has also taken its toll on Britons living in Spain, where unemployment is at about 17 percent, more than double the European average, The Times of London reported Saturday.

"The sun is nice but it doesn't pay your bills, that's the bottom line," said Richard Shears, who works in real estate on the Costa del Sol. He said after seven years in Spain he and his wife Judith are planning to return to London this year.

The British Embassy estimates about 1 million Britons live at least part of the year in Spain.

The newspaper said the global financial crisis has also affected retirees who hoped to spend their twilight years on the Spanish coast.

Andrew Anderson, 73, a retired architect and president of the Costa del Sol British Association, said he, too, is returning to England.

"We have seen the value of our pensions go down by 30 percent. You get used to a certain lifestyle but we can't maintain that now," Anderson said.