British Consul Paul Rodwell

by Jess Banham

From defending homes from the bulldozers to preparing for an army of Scottish football fans... it's all in a day's work for consul Paul Rodwell.

The 40-year-old, from Tunbridge Wells, is the 'go-to' man when we Brits come unstuck on the Costas.

And his battle to make our lives easier - whether we've lost our passports or our liberty - is to be aired on national TV tonight.

Our Man in the Costas shows the often fraught working life of Paul and his Foreign Office colleagues.

It shows that it is his job to help any British holidaymakers who get into trouble while enjoying the sun.

He said: "You never know what you’re going to be faced with when you get up in the morning."

"It can be victims of crime - things ranging from sexual assault to those who have just had their belongings stolen - or people who find themselves in hospital.

"It might be someone who has been detained abroad as well, so those who have been naughty - basically we help them to understand their rights."

Mr Rodwell appears in the second episode of the new TV series, hitting our screens tonight, which follows Foreign Office staff as they help tourists who get into difficulties.

In 2011, more than 12 million Brits visited Spain.

Mr Rodwell and his team also help expats who have to face a range of issues threatening their homes - from forest fires to the threat of demolition.

He added: "Most of the things we have to deal with are actually quite tragic.

"It’s people who have gone on holiday - they’ve saved up their money, are looking for a good time and then things have gone horribly wrong.

"You’re seeing a family identify their loved one in a morgue... it’s really, really tragic stuff that we have to do."

They also help the constant stream of British nationals who lose their passports.

Mr Rodwell said: "This documentary really highlights how important it is to prepare before you go overseas.

"A lot of people travelling to Spain jump on the plane and start to think about it when they’re in the air, as Spain is such a familiar place to go.

"But one really key thing is to definitely get comprehensive travel insurance to cover the cost if anything goes wrong."

Our Man in the Costas is on Channel 4 at 10pm tonight.