A British couple have been banished from the Italian city of Venice and slapped with fines after going for a prohibited swim in a canal.
A 35-year-old man and his 25-year-old Romanian partner allegedly plunged into the canal to mark the end of their Venetian getaway.
However, the duo were reported to the police after their plunge was spotted by local boatmen passing by.
Swimming in the city's 150 canals is banned under Venetian law due to the high volume of boat traffic and the bacteria-infested water.
Swimming in the city's 150 canals is banned under Venetian law due to the high volume of boat traffic and the bacteria-infested water
|GETTY
The British couple were handed a €450 (£390) fine each and ordered to leave the lagoon city for 48 hours, Italian media outlets have reported.
The "Venice is not Disneyland" action group have called on the authorities to dish out harsher fines and permanent bans for tourists who misbehave in the city.
One woman on the group's Facebook page fumed: “I can’t take any more of these idiots.
“Wherever they go they create a mess.”
The 'Venice is not Disneyland' action group have called on the authorities to dish out harsher fines and permanent bans for tourists who misbehave
|GETTY
Several local residents took to social media to voice outrage over the fines slapped on the British couple for being too low.
One resident said: “For others this will be an incentive to make themselves go viral.
“They should be jailed until they pay the fine, and then put on a plane dressed as they are in their bathing suits," another suggested.
Over 1,000 expulsion orders have been handed to tourists so far this year as the authorities ramp up measures to tackle poor behaviour from holidaymakers.
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Over 1,000 expulsion orders have been handed to tourists so far this year
| GETTYElisabetta Pesce, the Venetian councillor responsible for security, said: “The council administration is committed to firmly combating disrespectful and uncivil behaviour, because protecting Venice means defending the dignity of a city that is unique in the world and ensuring decorum for both residents and visitors."
In recent years, tourists have been spotted committing a host of violations, including drunkenly diving off the world-famous Rialto Bridge and leaping off landmark buildings into the water.
In 2022, the Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro slammed "two overbearing idiots" for "making a mockery of the city" after footage emerged of the men water-skiing illegally on the Grand Canal.
A New Zealand man was hospitalised in 2016 after being seriously injured when he jumped off a bridge and hit a water taxi.
Venice receives an estimated 30 million tourists each year, despite fewer than 50,000 residents living in the city.
As the explosion of tourists has descended on the floating city, a crimewave has followed closely behind.
Pickpocketing has become an increasing issue targeting tourists in recent years, with one Italian governor calling on thieves to be fitted with electronic tags.
The issue was put under a spotlight just months ago after a video went viral on social media which showed American tourist, Cadieu Greene, track down a gang of teenage thieves and grab one of the girls by her ponytail.