Keys lost in the Moros i Cristians crowd

Dénia’s Moros i Cristians run from the last day of July to 16 August in honour of Sant Roc, the town’s patron. The biggest days come at the end: the Moorish landing, the band parades, and the gala parade down Marqués de Campo with fireworks after it. Before that, in July, the Bous a la Mar have already filled the port.

Crowds, heat, a drink or two, clothes without proper pockets. Keys go missing. If yours have, here is a sensible order to go in.

1. Retrace, while it is still fresh

Go back along the route you took, in the same order. Keys are more often found on a café table or under a chair than in the middle of a street. Ask at the bars and shops you passed: people hand things in.

2. Ask the people who collect lost things

It is worth asking the Policía Local the next morning whether anything has been handed in, especially if the keys had a fob, a tag or anything else that stands out.

3. Check for the spare

Who else has a key? A neighbour, the cleaner, the agency, a relative, the person you share the flat with. It is the cheapest way in by far.

4. Only then, the door

If there really is no other key, the door has to be opened. If it is the middle of the night, the emergency page says what to do while you wait. Tell us:

• which door: the street door of a block, your own front door, or both;
• whether the door is latched or locked, if you know. A door you pulled shut is quicker than one you double-locked;
• where you are. During the fiesta days some streets around the centre are slow to reach, so the last stretch may be on foot. A pin helps.

You will be asked for proof that you live there. If your ID does not show the address, a rental contract or a neighbour who knows you will do.

5. Decide about the lock

If nothing with the keys showed your address, you may be fine once the door is open. If there was a tag with the address or the keys were on a ring with your car key and your name, change the cylinder. It can be done in the same visit, or booked for when the fiestas are over.