British family eat their breakfast on sunbeds at dawn to get around Crete hotel's strict sun lounger rules - as frustrated security guards look on

  • A British family has revealed how they secured their sunbeds at dawn 
  • The Harper family filmed themselves eating breakfast by their pool at 6.45am 
  • They stayed there for several hours, going on food 'runs'  

A British tourist family has revealed the cut-throat techniques they employ to secure the best sunbed spots in the dog-eat-dog world of resort holidays. 

The Harper family flouted official rules to assert themselves while on holiday in Crete by eating their breakfasts by the pool at 6.45am.

They used the crafty tactic to get around a hotel announcement that said 'no one could reserve sunbeds between 7am and 10pm.'

A TikTok posted by Hollie Harper revealed her family's frustration at her Greek hotel's sunbed reservation rules.

The caption of the video read: 'If you leave your sunbed for breakfast, your towels will be taken off.' 

The Harper family have begun fighting back, flouting official rules to assert themselves while on holiday in Crete by eating their breakfasts at the sunbeds
The Harper family have begun fighting back, flouting official rules to assert themselves while on holiday in Crete by eating their breakfasts at the sunbeds

The Harper family have begun fighting back, flouting official rules to assert themselves while on holiday in Crete by eating their breakfasts at the sunbeds

The TikTokker, furious at the arbitrary and last-minute change, joked that 'in our family this is a serious game' and 'very a serious matter.'

She showed her family posted on the edge of a pool at the crack of dawn, with plates of breakfast food around them. 

'All our family were down at 6:45am securing base camp', she explained.

'All willing to sacrifice breakfast for the greater good!'

The video showed several members of her family protecting their sunbeds, seemingly unconcerned by the 'sun police' patrolling the poolside, referring to a man who 'kept pacing to the base camp, waiting for us all to leave for breakfast.'

Hollie was seen going for a 'pastry run', bringing back a huge spread of tiny snacks for her family. 

The battle for the sunbeds seemingly became a siege, with the social media user joking that at 8:21am, there was 'only 1.5 hours left to secure the area.'

She also revealed that her war against her fellow holidaymakers would only get worse, announcing that she would be employing her 'militant' tactics at her brother's wedding. 

Last month, MailOnline reported that Greece was beginning a new crackdown on sunbeds taking over the country's coastlines using drones, amid complaints from locals about mass tourism. 

Businesses have capitalised on lax enforcement, and often take up far more room than they lease

Greece is turning to satellites and AI to crack down on the 'illegal' use of sunbeds, umbrellas and chairs on 8,000 of its beaches 

New rules have been brought in dictating that umbrellas and deck chairs must be at least four metres from the sea

New rules have been brought in dictating that umbrellas and deck chairs must be at least four metres from the sea

Aerial footage shows a drone patrolling one beach after the new rules were brought in earlier this year

Aerial footage shows a drone patrolling one beach after the new rules were brought in earlier this year

Angry locals have been taking action as part of the so-called 'beach towel movement' - which began last year and has seen thousands protest against paying extortionate prices to use sun loungers.

Now new rules have been brought in dictating that umbrellas and deck chairs must be at least four metres from the sea.

Bars and hotels also need a licence to put loungers, umbrellas, tables and chairs out on beaches - with a large proportion of the seafront required to be free of them altogether.

As British tourists flock to Greece for their summer holidays, the authorities are using satellites, AI and an app to enforce the new rules and root out the 'illegal' use of sunbeds on thousands of the country's beaches.