Police are hunting an English-speaking man who spat at Spanish locals after being told to wear a face mask.
A man and woman in Malaga said the tourist called the woman a 'w****' and threatened to hit them when they asked him to cover his mouth.
After the confrontation occurred on Saturday morning, couple Manuel and Paloma said they noticed that the back of their clothes was covered in spit, reports local paper Sur.
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“We realised that he had been spitting at us from behind, we thought it had been at the ground,” the couple said.
“When I saw it I felt so disgusted, not just because of the saliva but also the issue of COVID-19.”
When they warned the man they were calling the police, he reportedly laughed and said: "Go for it, call whoever you want."
Policia Local attended the incident but the man had disappeared down an alley.
The couple told local media that they only noticed that their clothes were covered while filing a police report - as they thought he had just been spitting on the ground.
Now Policia Nacional are said to be leading the investigation.
The couple added: “It makes us feel proud to see residents making the effort, despite being hot, to wear masks, while tourists generally don’t wear them.”
In Spain, anyone over the age of 6 years old must wear a face covering on public transport and in many other indoor and outdoor public spaces.
Rules vary by regions with some places demanding people wear them at all times when social distancing isn't possible.
The FCO advises Brits: "You should carry a face mask with you and be prepared to wear it throughout your stay."
The incident comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Spain has tripled in the past three weeks.
Officials fear that too many people are ignoring safety regulations, including face masks and limits on gatherings.
The country ended its State of Emergency on June 21 - with holidaymakers returning this month.
But infection rates in Spain have jumped from eight cases per 100,000 inhabitants at the end of June to 27 per 100,000 on Monday.
Now regions across Spain are imposing strict measures on citizens, in a blow to holidaymakers who have jetted abroad.
The entire town of Totana in Murcia, southeastern Spain has been closed after 55 people tested positive.
All 32,000 residents have been ordered not to leave the town and people are not allowed to enter.
Now 300 people who visited a bar believed to be at the centre of the outbreak will all be tested.
It is the first territory to go back to Phase 1 after the state emergency measures were lifted on June 21.
