'We're Brits in Benidorm – it's nothing like you think but smell on one street is vile'

Many things spring to mind when we think about Benidorm - rowdy stag parties and beer bellies to ping pong balls firing out of Sticky Vicky’s you know what. The legendary seaside resort is adored by Brits and each summer, more wild tales emerge from the party hotspot where you can get a pint and a fry-up for under a fiver. But we spoke to three Brits who live in Benidorm to get a sense of what life is really like there - and whether its bonkers reputation is justified.

Michelle Baker has been in Benidorm for 40 years after leaving Solihull and has raised five children there after marrying a Spaniard. She runs an informative Facebook page called Benidorm Forever and she speaks passionately about the town she believes has an unfair rep. And giving a different perspective of the region, she told the Daily Star that there was something for everyone and that her young daughter loved the atmosphere of the strip.

But she said on the other side of Benidorm - in what she called the 'Miami of Benidorm' - there were spectacular buildings with apartments costing no less than €400,000. Michelle, who recently flagged , said: “When you go somewhere like New York, like Florida or Las Vegas, you kind of know what you are getting yourself in for and your expectations are high. But when people talk about Benidorm they are almost embarrassed to admit they are coming here.

“So when they get here and find it so fantastic they are like ‘oh right, that was better than I expected’. They g.