Tom Caunce, a 31-year-old from Southport, took matters into his own hands during a family holiday in Majorca by sprinkling itching powder on towels left by guests reserving sunbeds before sunrise. The prank, which he filmed and shared online, garnered hundreds of thousands of views.
Targeting repeat offenders
Caunce said he spent the first few days observing guests who repeatedly claimed the same loungers each morning and then disappeared for hours. His first target was a woman in her late 40s who, along with her husband, reserved the same beds daily but spent little time at the pool. He attempted a quick 'walk-by sprinkle' but the woman changed the towel.
Undeterred, Caunce returned the next morning and spotted another couple heading for the same loungers. He sneaked downstairs and rubbed itching powder into one of the white hotel towels before waiting for them to return.
The prank unfolds
Initially, Caunce feared the prank had failed when he noticed the man had brought another towel. However, moments later, the scratching began. After a few minutes, the man jumped into the pool. The situation escalated when the man later used the white towel to dry himself. 'He picked up the white towel and used it to dry himself, and the small irritation seemed to turn into a full-body scratch,' Caunce said. The holidaymaker eventually gave up sunbathing and spent the rest of the afternoon under an umbrella.
Online reaction
The videos were viewed a combined 864,000 times and attracted more than 13,000 likes, with social media users divided. One person commented, 'This is incredibly strange.' Another added, 'It's not ok to do this. Remove towels, yes, but this no.' Yet another called it 'Absolute genius, thank you for your service.'
Caunce defended his actions, saying, 'I think we've all experienced the frustration of trying to get a sunbed on holiday. Many of us have accepted the 6am wake-up call just to have a chance of getting a decent spot.' He described the prank as 'playful payback.'
