UK couple banned from Venice after swimming in the Grand Canal
A couple from the UK have been banned from Venice after swimming in the city’s iconic canal.
A 35-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman from Romania, who live in the UK, were caught swimming in the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy.
The pair were reportedly celebrating the end of their holiday when they were spotted in the waterway by gondoliers.
As swimming in Venice’s 150 canals is prohibited, the couple were reported to the police.
They were each fined £390 (€450) and were ordered to leave the lagoon city for 48 hours, Italian media reported.
The incident has prompted calls for higher fines for antisocial behaviour and permanent bans for rule breakers.
A group known as ’Venice is not Disneyland’ campaigns against bad-behaviour in the city.
“I can’t take any more of these idiots,” one woman wrote on their Facebook page.
“Wherever they go they create a mess.”
Several locals said the fines given to the couple were too low.
“For others this will be an incentive to make themselves go viral,” one resident wrote.
“They should be jailed until they pay the fine, and then put on a plane dressed as they are in their bathing suits,” quipped another.
Tourists have been seen waterskiing illegally on the Grand Canal, diving off historic buildings or even diving off the iconic Rialto Bridge while drunk.
Elisabetta Pesce, the 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."
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