British expats in Spain worry they may lose jobs and money if UK votes to leave EU

The debate as to whether Britain should remain or leave the EU continues - even here, many miles away, in Spain's Costa del Sol.

A popular tourist destination, Spain's southern coast is also home to many Britons.

No one knows exactly, but estimates suggest that as many 800,000 Brits have chosen to live in Spain.

Thanks to the EU's freedom of movement laws, Brits can live, work and travel freely here.

And for that reason, many expats we spoke to will be voting to remain in the EU.

They can set up businesses, as Dean Hoile from Portsmouth has done.

He says the prospect of Britain voting to leave the EU is scary and that he worries what he would do having invested 80,000 euro in his sports fishing business.

He worries he'll be unable to work if there is a leave vote.

In a place where three out of four holiday homes are being sold to Brits, it's a view British estate agent Brian Wheeler shares but he thinks the Spanish will have to be generous in the event of a leave vote to keep British money on the Costa.

Thousands of Brits have moved to Spain Credit: ITV News

Julio Andrade, the Tourism Counsellor for Malaga, says Spain values tourism but that their generosity has limits and that if Britain leaves the EU it follows that Britons would lose their right to reciprocal healthcare for example.

In fact, he says they are expecting to see up to 40% of Britons leave the Costa del Sol in the event of a vote to leave the EU.

Pensions are also a concern for those Britons who have retired in Spain and could well be another reason they could decide to come home.

Like much in this campaign, it's not at all clear what the implications would be for those who claim their pensions here.

Currently pensions are index linked because the UK has bilateral agreement with Spain but no one is certain that that arrangement would continue after June 23rd.

James Mates speaks to British expat Esther McGregor Credit: ITV News

For Newcastle born Esther McGregor though, an expat who spends nine months of the year in Spain, she's not convinced that a vote to remain is the way forward. Every man must steer his own boat she told us, adding that ex pats must be careful not to vote putting their own interests in front of those of the country.

The votes of Britons living abroad will be significant and if it's close they may even be decisive on June 23rd but the result is likely to affect them, possibly more than anyone.