Three Britons have been arrested in Alicante after a 31-year-old man was shot near a beach bar more than 300 miles away in the Costa del Sol.

The man survived being shot in the chest and legs four times at a car park on Spain’s east coast during a dispute between drugs gangs, it is understood.

Gunshots were reportedly heard near the Andalucía Beach residential complex on the at about 5.30pm on July 28.

The gang members were wearing hoods to mask their identities at the time of the attack, according to witnesses.

After the victim was shot several times, the individuals fled the scene in a car with foreign number plates, leaving the man in a pool of blood on the ground.

Bar staff working nearby rushed to help the 31-year-old before he was taken to the Costa del Sol University Hospital in Marbella.

The victim, whose name has not been released by local authorities, is reportedly a Lithuanian national.

Two of the British nationals who were arrested near La Zenia, Murcia, have been placed in preventive detention for crimes including attempted murder. 

A Policia Nacional van pictured at the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid on September 11

An aerial view of Marbella where the 31-year-old man was rushed to hospital after he was shot

The third man was released on bail as the investigation into the attack continues.

Spanish police have searched properties in the town around 37 miles east of Murcia.

A manhunt for the individuals believed to be responsible for the shooting is still ongoing.

The arrests come after three British nationals including two minors were arrested in Marbella after police seized an arsenal of weapons and drugs. 

Nationalities were revealed following a police operation cracking down on synthetic drugs trading on the Costa del Sol on Spain’s south coast. 

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