A British student was beaten with a metal bar after refusing to pay more money for her holiday hostel.
Laura Denmar, 26, was injured in the brutal attack – as her boyfriend was pinned to a wall.
She needed emergency hospital treatment and cut short her two-month trip to the popular Croatian resort of Split.
Laura was left needing stitches in the top of her head – and warned other Brits about shady accommodation operators.
Laura said: “We are doing okay now that we are back in the UK, but it was a really terrifying ordeal.
“It was clear that the entire operation was not legal in the first place – and the attack was definitely premeditated.
“We are lucky to be out of there and want to warn others before they book accommodation online.”
Laura, a student at London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, travelled to Croatia last month with boyfriend Jeremy, 39.
She and the Canadian videographer booked a £60-a-night hostel through a major website because of peak season hotel prices.
But when they arrived in the city’s picturesque Old Town, on the Dalmatian coast, they were immediately sent away to a grimy suburb.
She said: “We were told that we had to pick up the keys from a different hostel, and then make our way to the apartment.
“When we arrived we realised that it was not legitimate at all – there were 30 beds and only one bathroom and no one there running anything.
“We had nowhere else to stay and we had already paid so we decided to make do.
“On the last day, a cleaner came in early and told us that we needed to leave right away or pay more money.
“I told her that was unreasonable and refused to hand over any money and so she told us she would call the police if we did not leave.
“I knew what they were doing was illegal so I told her to go on and call the police. Instead she called a man who we think was the owner.
“We decided to get out of there as soon as possible, but she locked the doors so we could not leave until the man arrived.
“When he did, he slammed Jeremy into a wall with another guy and the woman started beating me with a metal pole. It was awful.”
Laura, from Cambridgeshire, suffered a nasty gash to her head which required stitches, a fractured hand and bruising to her arms and body.
The couple made a statement to Croatian police and Laura was taken to hospital to have stitches – costing £125.
She said: “What happened to us was awful and I would hate for it to happen to anyone else.
“I just want people to know what happened to me so it never happens again.”
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