just change all your money into beer and snacks, buy a wheel barrow, hey presto a weekend of entertainment with no worries about being mugged/ loss of money

A useful tip a PC gave me from his experience last year in Barca. When having a drink/meal in the tourist areas dont leave your coat/jacket or bag on the back of a chair. So easy to get dipped.

Anyway I will be looking out for Slim as our minder

It's not scare mongering, just good sensible advice for people who may have never followed a football or rugby team in a major European city.

As someone else said, you need to keep wits about you and don't put yourself in a vulnerable position.

Shocking place for crime, never seen such activity its blatant pick pocketing. My 2 sisters were sat on a bench in the ramblas, a spanish chap sat at the side and decided to put his hand in one my sisters handbag and remove her purse, my other sister saw him do it and he looked at her, smiled and simply put the purse back in her bag and said shhhhhh and casualy walked away. Have seen many many people pick pocketed in the ramblas area, its unreal and almost a past time to sit back and watch it in action. Plenty of undercover police in that area, but still cant control the shinanigans.

Take out a few bob and thats it, leave everythign back in your accommodation. Get some shorts with zip pockets and keep them zipped up. It realy is an unreal place when it comes to pick pocketing .

Enjoy your weekend folks and be safe and zip up those pockets.

Do what the wise Saints fan says and you won't go far wrong.
We went for the Moto GP last year and saw a pick pocket get caught by a waiter at the port end of the Ramblas - other waiters piled in from all the restaurants and bars around and kicked the crap out of him. When they'd finished the police dragged what was left away.

In a different part of Spain last year, my uncle who lives out there showed me a little 'passtime' as we were having a few beers outside a bar by the beach. He threw an empty wallet on the floor no more than three in front of us and we sat and watched as nearly everyone who walked past in either direction kicked the wallet a few paces in front of their stride, picked it up and threw it down in disgust when they realised it was empty. The wallet was back and forth in front of our eyes so much, it was almost like watching tennis. Nobody looked round and thought to ask if it was ours, or anyone else's within proximity of the wallet.

People often lower their guard in a holiday atmosphere, it is sensible to be a bit more vigilant than you'd normally be.

The difference between Barcelona and Warrington is that you will be A) bladdered B) happy C) hot and thus you will be not as sensible as you would be at home and thus more vulnerable and a target.

And told you before, I am not on your NHS wages so can't afford to travel the world!

Nice enough city is Barca, 99.9% of the locals made us feel really welcome when I last visited, however crime and pickpockets are very apparent. In and around the airport is pretty ropey, but as long as you keep your wits about you should be fine.

I was in Barcelona in 2001 and got mugged on La Rambla.

Sat outside a bar opposite where one of these dudes was hanging about

:1ucdn47i

Cost me the equivalent of £18 for 2 beers and 2 soft drinks - that's what I call being mugged

Can't be that bad, imagine playing in Liverpool? Then we would be worried.