Police reports for theft, loss or damage can now be made online

The new 'e-Denuncias' system still requires the person reporting the incident to visit the station within three days of making the online statement, but only to confirm the contents and sign the paper copy of the report.

Full details, descriptions and lists of lost or stolen goods can be supplied via a website, allowing the property owner to do so in his or her own time and search for boxes, receipts or documents as and when they are needed to fill in parts of the form.

Once done, those who compile their lost, stolen or damaged reports online will be placed in a priority queue at the police station and be seen ahead of those filing their statements from scratch.

Theft of vehicles or from inside of these, bag-snatching or pick-pocketing not involving violence, loss or theft of goods or important documents such as passports, vandalism or other property damage, or finding lost property can all be reported online, provided the culprits - where theft or malicious damage is involved - are unknown.

Where the identity of the perpetrator of a criminal activity is known, or where physical violence or threats are involved, it will still be necessary to make a statement at the Guardia Civil station and online reports cannot be filed.

If the statement is filed online and addressed to a given police station but the author wishes to sign and confirm it at another, he or she will need to be able to produce the reference number from the report.

Photograph: The Guardia Civil station in Palmanova, Mallorca