A TRADER’S cheeky sales tactic turned out not to be the best form of advertising – especially as it got him arrested and could mean he has to fork out thousands of euros in compensation.
The locksmith, based in the Greater Madrid region commuter town of Alcorcón, reportedly went around sealing up keyholes with superglue and pasting stickers with his phone number advertising his 24-hour service next to them.
Schools, nurseries, shops and even pharmacies whose management had left their locks ‘working perfectly the night before’ would return in the morning to find them jammed.
They then had to call out locksmiths to take them apart – although in many cases, not the one advertising next to the sabotaged lock.
Detectives kept watch under cover overnight across town, and eventually caught the culprit.
He was found carrying two large tubes of a very strong superglue and a roll of stickers with his telephone number on them.
The accused, who was arrested but is since thought to have been released with charges, could end up with a bill for damage to at least 25 commercial premises and public buildings.
