Wish EU were here? Brits in Benidorm head to the beach on their mobility scooters to soak up the sun on UK's final day in the European Union

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Britons soaked up the winter sun on the beaches of Benidorm today in the UK's final hours as a member of the European Union. 

Tourists and expats relaxed on the Mediterranean coast today where thousands of British retirees have settled over the years, drawn by the warmer climate and cheaper cost of living. 

Some Britons took to Levante beach on mobility scooters while others in beachwear needed suncream to protect them on a sunny 71F (22C) day in Spain. 

The UK leaves the 28-member bloc at 11pm UK time tonight - midnight in Spain - but the Brexit transition period means little will change overnight.   

Experts who feared that British demand for property would be 'decimated' after the 2016 referendum say it has held up surprisingly well and Britons remain the largest group of foreign buyers. 

However, young expats fear they will have 'less opportunities' in future and some British business owners worry that future travel restrictions will hit demand.  

Britons relax in the sun on Levante beach in Benidorm today on the UK's last day as a member of the European Union - although little will change in practice because of the 11-month transition period 

A woman lies on the beach in Benidorm where thousands of British people have settled over the years, drawn by the warmer climate and cheaper cost of living

Britons already living legally in Spain have been guaranteed access to the public healthcare system and the right to stay after Brexit.

Mark Stucklin, the head of the Spanish Property Insight website, said he was 'really surprised' how well British demand had stood up since the referendum.

'I thought it would be absolutely decimated,' he said. 

However, expats fear that Brexit could further erode the value of the pound - cutting their pensions once they are converted to euros. 

Karen Watling, 73, and her husband are also concerned about declining property values in the region, in part due to lower demand from British buyers.

The couple sold their home in England to move to Orihuela Costa in Alicante province with her husband after she retired from her teaching job 17 years ago, and fear they would have nothing to go back to in the UK. 

But other Britons shrugged off Brexit concerns, arguing it was in both Madrid and London's interests to ensure that British pensioners stayed in Spain. 

'If life out here for expats like myself got more difficult and we decided to go home, that would devastate the Spanish economy,' said Malcolm Cavendish, a 76-year-old retired butcher. 

'And it would make a mess of things back in the UK because the UK couldn't cope,' said the Orihuela Costa resident, who supported Brexit at the 2016 referendum.   

A man wearing a cap sits on a sun lounger at a beach in Benidorm today, hours before Britain becomes the first country ever to quit the European Union 

Two people on mobility scooters enjoy the view at the seaside on Levante beach in Benidorm today, as Britain's drawn-out withdrawal process finally reaches a turning point more than three years after the referendum 

People relax by the seaside in Benidorm today on Britain's last day in the EU, more than 47 years after it joined what was then known as the European Communities 

Orihuela Costa, a sprawl of dozens of large housing estates with pastel-coloured buildings 70 miles down the coast from Benidorm, is one of the largest British enclaves in Spain.

Britons account for 8,000 of a population of some 28,000, according to municipal statistics.

Supermarkets stock British staples such as baked beans, newsagents sell UK newspapers and the streets are lined with pubs called 'The Randy Leprechaun' and 'The Celtic Drop'. 

Once the transition period is over, it is expected that new travel restrictions will take effect which means Britons will no longer have an automatic right to move to Spain.  

And those who only spend part of the year in Spain may face restrictions on the total number of days they can be in the country per year.

'This will complicate their lives,' said Bob Houliston, a retired British diplomat and former EU official who has lived in Orihuela Costa since 2006.

'It raises a whole lot of practical problems for these people, and there are many of them,' added Houliston, who served as a municipal councillor in Orihuela between 2011 and 2015.

The loss of freedom of movement is the main concern for numerous young Brits who work in the bars, estate agents and other businesses in Orihuela Costa.

'I am still young. I had thought of going to Greece at some point but that seems more complicated now,' said Mike Watkins, a 26-year-old bartender from Leicester, central England, as he sunbathed on the beach before starting his shift at a pub.

'I feel like I have less opportunities now than I did before,' he added.  

Britons sit around a table and enjoy a drink in the sunshine in Benidorm today. The Brexit transition period means little will change overnight

Two people sit on their towels at Levante beach today on a sunny day on the Mediterranean coast, as the UK finally leaves the EU after both sides approved the withdrawal agreement